Reading Help Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson Ch.I-III
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liberal-minded one in case of help--him being in a `
` clove hitch, as you remark?" `
` `
` I told him the squire was the most liberal of men. `
` `
` "Aye, but you see," returned Ben Gunn, "I didn't mean `
` giving me a gate to keep, and a suit of livery clothes, `
` and such; that's not my mark, Jim. What I mean is, `
` would he be likely to come down to the toon of, say one `
` thousand pounds out of money that's as good as a man's `
` own already?" `
` `
` "I am sure he would," said I. "As it was, all hands `
` were to share." `
` `
` "AND a passage home?" he added with a look of great `
` shrewdness. `
` `
` "Why," I cried, "the squire's a gentleman. And `
` besides, if we got rid of the others, we should want `
` you to help work the vessel home." `
` `
` "Ah," said he, "so you would." And he seemed very much `
` relieved. `
` `
` "Now, I'll tell you what," he went on. "So much I'll `
` tell you, and no more. I were in Flint's ship when he `
` buried the treasure; he and six along--six strong `
` seamen. They was ashore nigh on a week, and us `
` standing off and on in the old WALRUS. One fine `
` day up went the signal, and here come Flint by himself `
` in a little boat, and his head done up in a blue scarf. `
` The sun was getting up, and mortal white he looked `
` about the cutwater. But, there he was, you mind, and `
` the six all dead--dead and buried. How he done it, not `
` a man aboard us could make out. It was battle, murder, `
` and sudden death, leastways--him against six. Billy `
` Bones was the mate; Long John, he was quartermaster; `
` and they asked him where the treasure was. 'Ah,' says `
` he, 'you can go ashore, if you like, and stay,' he `
` says; 'but as for the ship, she'll beat up for more, by `
` thunder!' That's what he said. `
` `
` "Well, I was in another ship three years back, and we `
` sighted this island. 'Boys,' said I, 'here's Flint's `
` treasure; let's land and find it.' The cap'n was `
` displeased at that, but my messmates were all of a mind `
` and landed. Twelve days they looked for it, and every `
` day they had the worse word for me, until one fine `
` morning all hands went aboard. 'As for you, Benjamin `
` Gunn,' says they, 'here's a musket,' they says, 'and a `
` spade, and pick-axe. You can stay here and find `
` Flint's money for yourself,' they says. `
` `
` "Well, Jim, three years have I been here, and not a bite `
` of Christian diet from that day to this. But now, you `
` look here; look at me. Do I look like a man before the `
` mast? No, says you. Nor I weren't, neither, I says." `
` `
` And with that he winked and pinched me hard. `
` `
` "Just you mention them words to your squire, Jim," he went `
` on. "Nor he weren't, neither--that's the words. Three `
` years he were the man of this island, light and dark, fair `
` and rain; and sometimes he would maybe think upon a prayer `
` (says you), and sometimes he would maybe think of his old `
` mother, so be as she's alive (you'll say); but the most `
` part of Gunn's time (this is what you'll say)--the most `
` part of his time was took up with another matter. And `
` then you'll give him a nip, like I do." `
` `
` And he pinched me again in the most confidential manner. `
` `
` "Then," he continued, "then you'll up, and you'll say `
` this: Gunn is a good man (you'll say), and he puts a `
` precious sight more confidence--a precious sight, mind `
` that--in a gen'leman born than in these gen'leman of `
` fortune, having been one hisself." `
` `
` "Well," I said, "I don't understand one word that `
` you've been saying. But that's neither here nor there; `
` for how am I to get on board?" `
` `
` "Ah," said he, "that's the hitch, for sure. Well, `
` there's my boat, that I made with my two hands. I keep `
` her under the white rock. If the worst come to the `
` worst, we might try that after dark. Hi!" he broke `
` out. "What's that?" `
` `
` For just then, although the sun had still an hour or `
` two to run, all the echoes of the island awoke and `
` bellowed to the thunder of a cannon. `
` `
` "They have begun to fight!" I cried. "Follow me." `
` `
` And I began to run towards the anchorage, my terrors `
` all forgotten, while close at my side the marooned man `
` in his goatskins trotted easily and lightly. `
` `
` "Left, left," says he; "keep to your left hand, mate `
` Jim! Under the trees with you! Theer's where I killed `
` my first goat. They don't come down here now; they're `
` all mastheaded on them mountings for the fear of `
` Benjamin Gunn. Ah! And there's the cetemery"-- `
` cemetery, he must have meant. "You see the mounds? I `
` come here and prayed, nows and thens, when I thought `
` maybe a Sunday would be about doo. It weren't quite a `
` chapel, but it seemed more solemn like; and then, says `
` you, Ben Gunn was short-handed--no chapling, nor so `
` much as a Bible and a flag, you says." `
` `
` So he kept talking as I ran, neither expecting nor `
` receiving any answer. `
` `
` The cannon-shot was followed after a considerable `
` interval by a volley of small arms. `
` `
` Another pause, and then, not a quarter of a mile in `
` front of me, I beheld the Union Jack flutter in the air `
` above a wood. `
` `
` `
`
` clove hitch, as you remark?" `
` `
` I told him the squire was the most liberal of men. `
` `
` "Aye, but you see," returned Ben Gunn, "I didn't mean `
` giving me a gate to keep, and a suit of livery clothes, `
` and such; that's not my mark, Jim. What I mean is, `
` would he be likely to come down to the toon of, say one `
` thousand pounds out of money that's as good as a man's `
` own already?" `
` `
` "I am sure he would," said I. "As it was, all hands `
` were to share." `
` `
` "AND a passage home?" he added with a look of great `
` shrewdness. `
` `
` "Why," I cried, "the squire's a gentleman. And `
` besides, if we got rid of the others, we should want `
` you to help work the vessel home." `
` `
` "Ah," said he, "so you would." And he seemed very much `
` relieved. `
` `
` "Now, I'll tell you what," he went on. "So much I'll `
` tell you, and no more. I were in Flint's ship when he `
` buried the treasure; he and six along--six strong `
` seamen. They was ashore nigh on a week, and us `
` standing off and on in the old WALRUS. One fine `
` day up went the signal, and here come Flint by himself `
` in a little boat, and his head done up in a blue scarf. `
` The sun was getting up, and mortal white he looked `
` about the cutwater. But, there he was, you mind, and `
` the six all dead--dead and buried. How he done it, not `
` a man aboard us could make out. It was battle, murder, `
` and sudden death, leastways--him against six. Billy `
` Bones was the mate; Long John, he was quartermaster; `
` and they asked him where the treasure was. 'Ah,' says `
` he, 'you can go ashore, if you like, and stay,' he `
` says; 'but as for the ship, she'll beat up for more, by `
` thunder!' That's what he said. `
` `
` "Well, I was in another ship three years back, and we `
` sighted this island. 'Boys,' said I, 'here's Flint's `
` treasure; let's land and find it.' The cap'n was `
` displeased at that, but my messmates were all of a mind `
` and landed. Twelve days they looked for it, and every `
` day they had the worse word for me, until one fine `
` morning all hands went aboard. 'As for you, Benjamin `
` Gunn,' says they, 'here's a musket,' they says, 'and a `
` spade, and pick-axe. You can stay here and find `
` Flint's money for yourself,' they says. `
` `
` "Well, Jim, three years have I been here, and not a bite `
` of Christian diet from that day to this. But now, you `
` look here; look at me. Do I look like a man before the `
` mast? No, says you. Nor I weren't, neither, I says." `
` `
` And with that he winked and pinched me hard. `
` `
` "Just you mention them words to your squire, Jim," he went `
` on. "Nor he weren't, neither--that's the words. Three `
` years he were the man of this island, light and dark, fair `
` and rain; and sometimes he would maybe think upon a prayer `
` (says you), and sometimes he would maybe think of his old `
` mother, so be as she's alive (you'll say); but the most `
` part of Gunn's time (this is what you'll say)--the most `
` part of his time was took up with another matter. And `
` then you'll give him a nip, like I do." `
` `
` And he pinched me again in the most confidential manner. `
` `
` "Then," he continued, "then you'll up, and you'll say `
` this: Gunn is a good man (you'll say), and he puts a `
` precious sight more confidence--a precious sight, mind `
` that--in a gen'leman born than in these gen'leman of `
` fortune, having been one hisself." `
` `
` "Well," I said, "I don't understand one word that `
` you've been saying. But that's neither here nor there; `
` for how am I to get on board?" `
` `
` "Ah," said he, "that's the hitch, for sure. Well, `
` there's my boat, that I made with my two hands. I keep `
` her under the white rock. If the worst come to the `
` worst, we might try that after dark. Hi!" he broke `
` out. "What's that?" `
` `
` For just then, although the sun had still an hour or `
` two to run, all the echoes of the island awoke and `
` bellowed to the thunder of a cannon. `
` `
` "They have begun to fight!" I cried. "Follow me." `
` `
` And I began to run towards the anchorage, my terrors `
` all forgotten, while close at my side the marooned man `
` in his goatskins trotted easily and lightly. `
` `
` "Left, left," says he; "keep to your left hand, mate `
` Jim! Under the trees with you! Theer's where I killed `
` my first goat. They don't come down here now; they're `
` all mastheaded on them mountings for the fear of `
` Benjamin Gunn. Ah! And there's the cetemery"-- `
` cemetery, he must have meant. "You see the mounds? I `
` come here and prayed, nows and thens, when I thought `
` maybe a Sunday would be about doo. It weren't quite a `
` chapel, but it seemed more solemn like; and then, says `
` you, Ben Gunn was short-handed--no chapling, nor so `
` much as a Bible and a flag, you says." `
` `
` So he kept talking as I ran, neither expecting nor `
` receiving any answer. `
` `
` The cannon-shot was followed after a considerable `
` interval by a volley of small arms. `
` `
` Another pause, and then, not a quarter of a mile in `
` front of me, I beheld the Union Jack flutter in the air `
` above a wood. `
` `
` `
`