金银岛-第3节
按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
The ship is bought and ready for sea。 You never saw a bet－ter ship——and with the name Hispaniola 。I got her through my old friend； Blandly； who； with everyone in Bristol； worked hard to find me a suitable ship when they heard the reason for our voyage－treasure ；I mean。
‘Dr Livesey won't like that ；I said to Tom Redruth。‘The squire's been talking。 ’I read on：
I wanted a crew of twenty men——as we may meet pirates or enemy ships——but I had the greatest difficulty finding six。Then good fortune brought me the very man that I needed 。I met the man quite by accident ；and we began a conversation ；I learnt he was an old seaman who kept an inn； and he knew all the seamen in Bristol。 The poor man had lost his health on shore and wanted to get work as a cook ；and go to sea again。
I felt sorry for him and employed him immediately； to be the ship's cook。 Long John Silver ；he is called ；and he has lost a leg fighting for his country。 Well； sir ；I thought I had only found a cook； but it was a crew I had discovered！ Between Silver and myself； we got together a crew of the toughest seamen you can imagine。
I am in wonderful health； but I shall not enjoy a moment un－til my ship goes to sea。 So come quickly ；Livesey ； do not lose an hour ！And let young Hawkins go at once to say goodbye to his mother； and then come quickly to Bristol with Redruth。
John Trelawney
PS： Blandly found us an excellent man to be captain； and Sil－ver found a man called Arrow to be first officer。
Next day；I went to the Admiral Benbow and said goodbye to my mother 。I was sad to leave ；but when Redruth and I began our journey to Bristol ；my thoughts turned to the voyage and the search for treasure。
Mr Trelawney was waiting for us at an inn； near the sea。‘Here you are！’he cried when we arrived。‘The doctor came from London last night ；so now the ship's company is complete。 We sail tomorrow！’
After I had finished breakfast ；the squire gave me a note to take to Long John Silver at the Spyglass Inn。
It was a bright little place where the customers were mostly seamen。 As I entered ；a man came out of a side room and I knew immediately he must be Long John。 His left leg was cut off above the knee and he walked with a crutch under his left shoulder 。He was tall and strong with a big ；smiling face。
Now ；when I read about Long John in Squire Trelawney's letter； I had been afraid he might be the one…legged seamanthat old Bill had talked about 。But one look at the man in front of me was enough。 I knew old Bill； and Black Dog； and the blind man Pew 。I thought I knew what a pirate looked like…a very different person from this clean and smiling man。
‘Mr Silver ；sir？’I asked； holding out the note。
‘Yes ；my boy；’he said。‘That's my name 。And who are you？’And then he saw the squire's letter and looked surprised。‘Oh！’he said loudly。 ‘I see you're our new cabin－boy。 I'm pleased to meet you。’
Just then； a customer got up suddenly and hurried to the door。 I recognized him as the man with only three fingers on his left hand—the one who had come to the Admiral Benbow！
‘Stop him！’I shouted。‘It's Black Dog！’
‘ I don't care who he is；’said Silver。‘He hasn't paid for his drinks。 Run and catch him； Harry！’
A man jumped up and ran after Black Dog。
‘What was his name？’asked Silver。‘Black what？’
‘Dog； sir；’I said。‘Hasn't Mr Trelawney told you about the pirates？ He was one of them。’
‘A pirate！ I didn't know that；’said Silver。‘I've seen him before； when he came with a blind man。’
‘That was blind Pew； another pirate；’I said。
‘That was his name！’ said Silver。
I watched the sea cook carefully 。But when the man Harry came back without the pirate； Silver seemed angry and I be…lieved he was。
‘I'll come with you to tell Mr Trelawney what's happened；’he said。 This is a serious matter。’
As we walked back； Silver told me many interesting things about the ships that we passed。 I began to think he was going to be a good companion to have when we were at sea。
When we got to the inn； the squire and Dr Livesey were there 。Long John told them about Black Dog； saying；‘That was how it was； wasn't it； Hawkins？’And I had to agree。 We were all sorry about Black Dog getting away； but there was nothing we could do。
‘All the crew must be on board by four o’clock this after－ noon； Trelawney told Long John。
‘Right ；sir！’said the sea cook； and he left us to return to his inn。
‘Trelawney；’said Dr Livesey；‘I don't always think you find the best men； but I'll say this： John Silver seems a good man 。Now； let's go and see the ship！’
6
The ship and its men
We went out to the His paniola in a small boat。 Mr Ar－row met us； and it was clear that he and the squire were very friendly 。But things were not the same between Mr Trelawney and the captain。 Captain Smollett seemed angry with everybody on board； and told us why。
‘I don't like this voyage；’he told us。‘I don't like the men； and I don't like my first officer。’
‘Perhaps ；sir ；you don't like the ship？’said the squire ；an－grily。
‘I can't say that ；sir ；as I haven't yet sailed her； replied the captain。‘She seems a good ship。’
‘Possibly； sir； you don't like your employer either？ said the squire。
‘Now； now； let's not argue；’ said Dr Livesey。 He turned to the captain。‘You say you don't like this voyage；’ he said。‘Please explain。’
‘I was employed； sir；’said the captain；‘on secret orders ；and to sail this ship where that gentleman ordered me to sail it。 Now I find every other man on this ship knows more than I do 。I don't call that fair； do you？’
‘No；’said Dr Livesey； ‘I don't。’
‘Next；’said the captain； I learn we are going to look for treasure－hear it from my own crew！ Now； I don't like trea－sure voyages at the best of times； and I certainly don't like them when they are secret。 Also； a captain is usually allowed to choose his own crew。’
‘That's true； ’agreed the doctor。‘And you don't like Mr Arrow？’
‘No； sir； ’replied Captain Smollett。‘He's too friendly with the crew。’
‘Tell us what you want； ’said the doctor。
‘First of all； the men are putting the powder and weapons in the front of the ship；’said the captain。‘Now； you have a good place under the cabin 。Why not put them there ？Second； you are bringing four of your own people。 Let them sleep here be－ side the cabin。’
‘What else？’asked Mr Trelawney。
‘Only one thing； sir； ’said the captain。‘There's been too much talking already。 I'll tell you what I've heard。 That you have a map of an island； that there's crosses on the map to show where treasure is； and that the island is…’Then he told us the exact place。
‘I never told that to anyone！’cried the squire。
‘The crew know it； sir；’replied the captain。‘I don't know who has this map； but I want it to be kept secret ；even from me and Mr Arrow。 If not ；I will ask you to let me leave the ship。’
‘You want us to keep all this a secret；’said the doctor；‘and you want all the weapons and powder to be kept near us。 In other words ；you fear a mutiny。’
‘I did not say that ；sir；’replied Captain Smoll ett。‘No cap－tain could go to sea believing that。’And he went away。
‘ Trelawney； said the doctor； I believe you have managed to get two honest men on board…that man ；and John Silver。’
‘Silver； yes；’ said the squire； ‘but the captain acts neither like a man； nor a good seaman！’
‘Well；’ said the doctor；‘ we shall see。’
We were moving the weapons and powder when Long John came aboard。 The cook came up the side as quick as a monkey and saw what we were doing。
‘What's this？’he wanted to know。
‘My orders；’said the captain； coldly。‘You may go below； my man 。The crew will want supper。’
‘Yes ；sir；’said the cook； and disappeared quickly。
‘That's a good man； captain；’said the doctor。
‘That may be ；sir ；replied Captain Smollett。
7
The apple barrel
We sailed at the first light of day。 I was more tired than ever before； but everything was so new and interest…ing I would not leave the deck。
‘let's have a song！’cried one of the men。
Long John began to sing that song I knew so well：
Fifteen men on the dead man's chest—
And the whole crew joined with him：
Yo－ho－ho and a bottle of rum！
Even at that exciting moment； I remembered the old Admi－ral Benbow ；and I seemed to hear the voice of old Bill； thr sea－man； singing with them。 But soon the sails began to fill with wind； and the land and other ships moved past on each side。 The Hispaniola had begun her voyage to Treasure Island。
I am not going to describe the voyage in detail。 The ship was indeed a good ship ；the crew were good seamen ；and the captain knew his business well。 But Mr Arrow was even worse than the captain had feared。 The men did as they pleased with him ；and after a day or two at sea； he began to drink too much。 Where he got the drink was a mystery； and if we asked him； he would only laugh。 Then one wild； dark night with a rough sea； he disappeared and was seen no more。
‘Fallen overboard！’said the captain。‘Gentlemen； we'll do better without him。’
But w
