Reading Help Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson Ch.I-III
"My orders!" said the captain shortly. "You may go `
` below, my man. Hands will want supper." `
` `
` "Aye, aye, sir," answered the cook, and touching his `
` forelock, he disappeared at once in the direction of `
` his galley. `
` `
` "That's a good man, captain," said the doctor. `
` `
` "Very likely, sir," replied Captain Smollett. "Easy `
` with that, men--easy," he ran on, to the fellows who `
` were shifting the powder; and then suddenly observing `
` me examining the swivel we carried amidships, a long `
` brass nine, "Here you, ship's boy," he cried, "out o' `
` that! Off with you to the cook and get some work." `
` `
` And then as I was hurrying off I heard him say, quite loudly, `
` to the doctor, "I'll have no favourites on my ship." `
` `
` I assure you I was quite of the squire's way of `
` thinking, and hated the captain deeply. `
` `
` `
` `
` 10 `
` `
` The Voyage `
` `
` ALL that night we were in a great bustle getting things `
` stowed in their place, and boatfuls of the squire's `
` friends, Mr. Blandly and the like, coming off to wish `
` him a good voyage and a safe return. We never had a `
` night at the Admiral Benbow when I had half the work; `
` and I was dog-tired when, a little before dawn, the `
` boatswain sounded his pipe and the crew began to man `
` the capstan-bars. I might have been twice as weary, `
` yet I would not have left the deck, all was so new and `
` interesting to me--the brief commands, the shrill note `
` of the whistle, the men bustling to their places in the `
` glimmer of the ship's lanterns. `
` `
` "Now, Barbecue, tip us a stave," cried one voice. `
` `
` "The old one," cried another. `
` `
` "Aye, aye, mates," said Long John, who was standing by, `
` with his crutch under his arm, and at once broke out in `
` the air and words I knew so well: `
` `
` "Fifteen men on the dead man's chest--" `
` `
` And then the whole crew bore chorus:-- `
` `
` "Yo-ho-ho, and a bottle of rum!" `
` `
` And at the third "Ho!" drove the bars before them with `
` a will. `
` `
` Even at that exciting moment it carried me back to the old `
` Admiral Benbow in a second, and I seemed to hear the voice `
` of the captain piping in the chorus. But soon the anchor `
` was short up; soon it was hanging dripping at the bows; `
` soon the sails began to draw, and the land and shipping `
` to flit by on either side; and before I could lie down to `
` snatch an hour of slumber the HISPANIOLA had begun her `
` voyage to the Isle of Treasure. `
` `
` I am not going to relate that voyage in detail. It was `
` fairly prosperous. The ship proved to be a good ship, `
` the crew were capable seamen, and the captain `
` thoroughly understood his business. But before we came `
` the length of Treasure Island, two or three things had `
` happened which require to be known. `
` `
` Mr. Arrow, first of all, turned out even worse than the `
` captain had feared. He had no command among the men, `
` and people did what they pleased with him. But that `
` was by no means the worst of it, for after a day or two `
` at sea he began to appear on deck with hazy eye, red `
` cheeks, stuttering tongue, and other marks of `
` drunkenness. Time after time he was ordered below in `
` disgrace. Sometimes he fell and cut himself; sometimes `
` he lay all day long in his little bunk at one side of `
` the companion; sometimes for a day or two he would be `
` almost sober and attend to his work at least passably. `
` `
` In the meantime, we could never make out where he got `
` the drink. That was the ship's mystery. Watch him as `
` we pleased, we could do nothing to solve it; and when `
` we asked him to his face, he would only laugh if he `
` were drunk, and if he were sober deny solemnly that he `
` ever tasted anything but water. `
` `
` He was not only useless as an officer and a bad `
` influence amongst the men, but it was plain that at this `
` rate he must soon kill himself outright, so nobody was `
` much surprised, nor very sorry, when one dark night, with `
` a head sea, he disappeared entirely and was seen no more. `
` `
` "Overboard!" said the captain. "Well, gentlemen, that `
` saves the trouble of putting him in irons." `
` `
` But there we were, without a mate; and it was `
` necessary, of course, to advance one of the men. The `
` boatswain, Job Anderson, was the likeliest man aboard, `
` and though he kept his old title, he served in a way as `
` mate. Mr. Trelawney had followed the sea, and his `
` knowledge made him very useful, for he often took a watch `
` himself in easy weather. And the coxswain, Israel Hands, `
` was a careful, wily, old, experienced seaman who could be `
` trusted at a pinch with almost anything. `
` `
` He was a great confidant of Long John Silver, and so `
` the mention of his name leads me on to speak of our `
` ship's cook, Barbecue, as the men called him. `
` `
` Aboard ship he carried his crutch by a lanyard round `
` his neck, to have both hands as free as possible. It `
` was something to see him wedge the foot of the crutch `
` against a bulkhead, and propped against it, yielding to `
` every movement of the ship, get on with his cooking `
` like someone safe ashore. Still more strange was it to `
` see him in the heaviest of weather cross the deck. He `
` had a line or two rigged up to help him across the `
` widest spaces--Long John's earrings, they were called; `
` and he would hand himself from one place to another, `
` now using the crutch, now trailing it alongside by the `
` lanyard, as quickly as another man could walk. Yet `
` some of the men who had sailed with him before `
` expressed their pity to see him so reduced. `
` `
` "He's no common man, Barbecue," said the coxswain to `
` me. "He had good schooling in his young days and can `
` speak like a book when so minded; and brave--a lion's `
` nothing alongside of Long John! I seen him grapple `
` four and knock their heads together--him unarmed." `
` `
` All the crew respected and even obeyed him. He had a `
` way of talking to each and doing everybody some `
` particular service. To me he was unweariedly kind, and `
` always glad to see me in the galley, which he kept as `
` clean as a new pin, the dishes hanging up burnished and `
` his parrot in a cage in one corner. `
` `
` "Come away, Hawkins," he would say; "come and have a `
` yarn with John. Nobody more welcome than yourself, my `
` son. Sit you down and hear the news. Here's Cap'n `
` Flint--I calls my parrot Cap'n Flint, after the famous `
` buccaneer--here's Cap'n Flint predicting success to our `
` v'yage. Wasn't you, cap'n?" `
` `
` And the parrot would say, with great rapidity, "Pieces `
` of eight! Pieces of eight! Pieces of eight!" till you `
` wondered that it was not out of breath, or till John `
` threw his handkerchief over the cage. `
` `
` "Now, that bird," he would say, "is, maybe, two hundred `
` years old, Hawkins--they live forever mostly; and if `
` anybody's seen more wickedness, it must be the devil `
` himself. She's sailed with England, the great Cap'n `
` England, the pirate. She's been at Madagascar, and at `
` Malabar, and Surinam, and Providence, and Portobello. `
` She was at the fishing up of the wrecked plate ships. `
` It's there she learned 'Pieces of eight,' and little `
` wonder; three hundred and fifty thousand of 'em, `
` Hawkins! She was at the boarding of the viceroy of the `
` Indies out of Goa, she was; and to look at her you `
` would think she was a babby. But you smelt powder-- `
` didn't you, cap'n?" `
` `
` "Stand by to go about," the parrot would scream. `
` `
` "Ah, she's a handsome craft, she is," the cook would say, `
` and give her sugar from his pocket, and then the bird `
` would peck at the bars and swear straight on, passing `
` belief for wickedness. "There," John would add, "you `
` can't touch pitch and not be mucked, lad. Here's this `
` poor old innocent bird o' mine swearing blue fire, and `
` none the wiser, you may lay to that. She would swear the `
` same, in a manner of speaking, before chaplain." And John `
` would touch his forelock with a solemn way he had that made `
` me think he was the best of men. `
` `
` In the meantime, the squire and Captain Smollett were `
` still on pretty distant terms with one another. The `
` squire made no bones about the matter; he despised the `
` captain. The captain, on his part, never spoke but when `
` he was spoken to, and then sharp and short and dry, and `
` not a word wasted. He owned, when driven into a corner, `
` that he seemed to have been wrong about the crew, that `
` some of them were as brisk as he wanted to see and all `
` had behaved fairly well. As for the ship, he had taken `
` a downright fancy to her. "She'll lie a point nearer `
` the wind than a man has a right to expect of his own `
` married wife, sir. But," he would add, "all I say is, `
` we're not home again, and I don't like the cruise." `
` `
` The squire, at this, would turn away and march up and `
` down the deck, chin in air. `
` `
` "A trifle more of that man," he would say, "and I `
`
` below, my man. Hands will want supper." `
` `
` "Aye, aye, sir," answered the cook, and touching his `
` forelock, he disappeared at once in the direction of `
` his galley. `
` `
` "That's a good man, captain," said the doctor. `
` `
` "Very likely, sir," replied Captain Smollett. "Easy `
` with that, men--easy," he ran on, to the fellows who `
` were shifting the powder; and then suddenly observing `
` me examining the swivel we carried amidships, a long `
` brass nine, "Here you, ship's boy," he cried, "out o' `
` that! Off with you to the cook and get some work." `
` `
` And then as I was hurrying off I heard him say, quite loudly, `
` to the doctor, "I'll have no favourites on my ship." `
` `
` I assure you I was quite of the squire's way of `
` thinking, and hated the captain deeply. `
` `
` `
` `
` 10 `
` `
` The Voyage `
` `
` ALL that night we were in a great bustle getting things `
` stowed in their place, and boatfuls of the squire's `
` friends, Mr. Blandly and the like, coming off to wish `
` him a good voyage and a safe return. We never had a `
` night at the Admiral Benbow when I had half the work; `
` and I was dog-tired when, a little before dawn, the `
` boatswain sounded his pipe and the crew began to man `
` the capstan-bars. I might have been twice as weary, `
` yet I would not have left the deck, all was so new and `
` interesting to me--the brief commands, the shrill note `
` of the whistle, the men bustling to their places in the `
` glimmer of the ship's lanterns. `
` `
` "Now, Barbecue, tip us a stave," cried one voice. `
` `
` "The old one," cried another. `
` `
` "Aye, aye, mates," said Long John, who was standing by, `
` with his crutch under his arm, and at once broke out in `
` the air and words I knew so well: `
` `
` "Fifteen men on the dead man's chest--" `
` `
` And then the whole crew bore chorus:-- `
` `
` "Yo-ho-ho, and a bottle of rum!" `
` `
` And at the third "Ho!" drove the bars before them with `
` a will. `
` `
` Even at that exciting moment it carried me back to the old `
` Admiral Benbow in a second, and I seemed to hear the voice `
` of the captain piping in the chorus. But soon the anchor `
` was short up; soon it was hanging dripping at the bows; `
` soon the sails began to draw, and the land and shipping `
` to flit by on either side; and before I could lie down to `
` snatch an hour of slumber the HISPANIOLA had begun her `
` voyage to the Isle of Treasure. `
` `
` I am not going to relate that voyage in detail. It was `
` fairly prosperous. The ship proved to be a good ship, `
` the crew were capable seamen, and the captain `
` thoroughly understood his business. But before we came `
` the length of Treasure Island, two or three things had `
` happened which require to be known. `
` `
` Mr. Arrow, first of all, turned out even worse than the `
` captain had feared. He had no command among the men, `
` and people did what they pleased with him. But that `
` was by no means the worst of it, for after a day or two `
` at sea he began to appear on deck with hazy eye, red `
` cheeks, stuttering tongue, and other marks of `
` drunkenness. Time after time he was ordered below in `
` disgrace. Sometimes he fell and cut himself; sometimes `
` he lay all day long in his little bunk at one side of `
` the companion; sometimes for a day or two he would be `
` almost sober and attend to his work at least passably. `
` `
` In the meantime, we could never make out where he got `
` the drink. That was the ship's mystery. Watch him as `
` we pleased, we could do nothing to solve it; and when `
` we asked him to his face, he would only laugh if he `
` were drunk, and if he were sober deny solemnly that he `
` ever tasted anything but water. `
` `
` He was not only useless as an officer and a bad `
` influence amongst the men, but it was plain that at this `
` rate he must soon kill himself outright, so nobody was `
` much surprised, nor very sorry, when one dark night, with `
` a head sea, he disappeared entirely and was seen no more. `
` `
` "Overboard!" said the captain. "Well, gentlemen, that `
` saves the trouble of putting him in irons." `
` `
` But there we were, without a mate; and it was `
` necessary, of course, to advance one of the men. The `
` boatswain, Job Anderson, was the likeliest man aboard, `
` and though he kept his old title, he served in a way as `
` mate. Mr. Trelawney had followed the sea, and his `
` knowledge made him very useful, for he often took a watch `
` himself in easy weather. And the coxswain, Israel Hands, `
` was a careful, wily, old, experienced seaman who could be `
` trusted at a pinch with almost anything. `
` `
` He was a great confidant of Long John Silver, and so `
` the mention of his name leads me on to speak of our `
` ship's cook, Barbecue, as the men called him. `
` `
` Aboard ship he carried his crutch by a lanyard round `
` his neck, to have both hands as free as possible. It `
` was something to see him wedge the foot of the crutch `
` against a bulkhead, and propped against it, yielding to `
` every movement of the ship, get on with his cooking `
` like someone safe ashore. Still more strange was it to `
` see him in the heaviest of weather cross the deck. He `
` had a line or two rigged up to help him across the `
` widest spaces--Long John's earrings, they were called; `
` and he would hand himself from one place to another, `
` now using the crutch, now trailing it alongside by the `
` lanyard, as quickly as another man could walk. Yet `
` some of the men who had sailed with him before `
` expressed their pity to see him so reduced. `
` `
` "He's no common man, Barbecue," said the coxswain to `
` me. "He had good schooling in his young days and can `
` speak like a book when so minded; and brave--a lion's `
` nothing alongside of Long John! I seen him grapple `
` four and knock their heads together--him unarmed." `
` `
` All the crew respected and even obeyed him. He had a `
` way of talking to each and doing everybody some `
` particular service. To me he was unweariedly kind, and `
` always glad to see me in the galley, which he kept as `
` clean as a new pin, the dishes hanging up burnished and `
` his parrot in a cage in one corner. `
` `
` "Come away, Hawkins," he would say; "come and have a `
` yarn with John. Nobody more welcome than yourself, my `
` son. Sit you down and hear the news. Here's Cap'n `
` Flint--I calls my parrot Cap'n Flint, after the famous `
` buccaneer--here's Cap'n Flint predicting success to our `
` v'yage. Wasn't you, cap'n?" `
` `
` And the parrot would say, with great rapidity, "Pieces `
` of eight! Pieces of eight! Pieces of eight!" till you `
` wondered that it was not out of breath, or till John `
` threw his handkerchief over the cage. `
` `
` "Now, that bird," he would say, "is, maybe, two hundred `
` years old, Hawkins--they live forever mostly; and if `
` anybody's seen more wickedness, it must be the devil `
` himself. She's sailed with England, the great Cap'n `
` England, the pirate. She's been at Madagascar, and at `
` Malabar, and Surinam, and Providence, and Portobello. `
` She was at the fishing up of the wrecked plate ships. `
` It's there she learned 'Pieces of eight,' and little `
` wonder; three hundred and fifty thousand of 'em, `
` Hawkins! She was at the boarding of the viceroy of the `
` Indies out of Goa, she was; and to look at her you `
` would think she was a babby. But you smelt powder-- `
` didn't you, cap'n?" `
` `
` "Stand by to go about," the parrot would scream. `
` `
` "Ah, she's a handsome craft, she is," the cook would say, `
` and give her sugar from his pocket, and then the bird `
` would peck at the bars and swear straight on, passing `
` belief for wickedness. "There," John would add, "you `
` can't touch pitch and not be mucked, lad. Here's this `
` poor old innocent bird o' mine swearing blue fire, and `
` none the wiser, you may lay to that. She would swear the `
` same, in a manner of speaking, before chaplain." And John `
` would touch his forelock with a solemn way he had that made `
` me think he was the best of men. `
` `
` In the meantime, the squire and Captain Smollett were `
` still on pretty distant terms with one another. The `
` squire made no bones about the matter; he despised the `
` captain. The captain, on his part, never spoke but when `
` he was spoken to, and then sharp and short and dry, and `
` not a word wasted. He owned, when driven into a corner, `
` that he seemed to have been wrong about the crew, that `
` some of them were as brisk as he wanted to see and all `
` had behaved fairly well. As for the ship, he had taken `
` a downright fancy to her. "She'll lie a point nearer `
` the wind than a man has a right to expect of his own `
` married wife, sir. But," he would add, "all I say is, `
` we're not home again, and I don't like the cruise." `
` `
` The squire, at this, would turn away and march up and `
` down the deck, chin in air. `
` `
` "A trifle more of that man," he would say, "and I `
`