金银岛-第6节
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standing in a low mist．
‘What do you want？’shouted Captain Smollett．
The man beside Silver replied，‘Cap’n Silver，sir，to talk about peace．’
‘Cap’n Silver？’said the captain．‘Who is he？’
Long John answered Me，sir．The men chose me to be captain after you deserted the ship We're willing to make peace if we can all agree．All I ask is your promise to allow me safely out of the stockade．’
‘I don't want to talk to you，’said Captain Smollett，‘but if you want to talk to me，you may come．’
Silver came towards the stockade，threw his crutch over the fence，then climbed after it．With great difficulty，he walked up the hill of soft sand．
‘Aren't you going to let me inside？’said Long John．‘It's a cold morning to be outside．’
‘If you were an honest man，Silver，’said the captain，‘you could be in your kitchen．You're either my ship's cook，or Cap’n Silver，a dirty pirate！Now，if you've anything to say，say it！’
‘Well now，Cap’n Smollett，’said Silver，sitting down in the sand，‘you were very clever，last night．One of you is very quick with a knife，isn't he？Some of my men were frightened，and perhaps I was too．Perhaps that's why I'm here now．But you won't do it again，by thunder！We'll drink less rum and watch more carefully．I was asleep，but I almost caught you．The man you knifed wasn't dead when I reached him．’
‘Well？’said Captain Smollett，pretending to understand．But I guessed what Silver was talking about．I remembered Ben Gunn's last words to me．Perhaps he had visited the pirates during the night，when they were lying around their fire，full of rum．
‘We want that treasure，and we'll have it！’said Silver．‘Now，you have a map．Give it to us，and stop killing poor sea…men when they're asleep，and we'll let you choose what to do．Either come aboard ship with us when we have the treasure，and we'll take you to a safe place；or stay here on the island．’
‘Is that all？’asked Captain Smollett．
‘It's my last word，by thunder！’said Silver．‘Refuse，and you'll all die．’
‘Now you'll hear me，’said the captain．‘If you come up one by one，without weapons，I'll take you home to a fair trial in England．You can't find the treasure without the map．None of you knows how to sail the ship home．And you can't fight us—Gray got away from five of you．If you say no，the next time I see you I'll put a bullet in your back．Now，get out of here quickly．’
Silver's eyes were filled with anger．‘Somebody help me up！’he shouted，but none of us moved．Swearing angrily，he pulled himself across the sand to the fence．There，he was able to lift himself on to his crutch again and then climb out of the stockade．
‘Before the hour is over，’shouted Silver，‘I'll break your old house like a rum bottle！And those that die will be the lucky ones！’
As soon as Silver disappeared，we got ready for a battle，placing ourselves around the sides of the stockade．The captain went round to check our places and our guns，and to see that everything was ready．
A minute later，Joyce fired his pistol and the battle had be…gun．Shots came from every side of the stockade，hitting the wooden house，but the bullets did not get through the thick walls．Then there was silence and the smoke slowly cleared away．
Suddenly，guns were fired again，and a group of pirates ran from the woods and on to the stockade．They climbed over the fence like monkeys while the squire and Gray fired at them．In a few seconds，two fell dead，one was running back into the trees，and four were inside the stockade．
‘Fight them in the open！’cried the captain．
I took a sword and ran out into the sun．More pirates were starting to climb into the stockade．One man，wearing a red cap and with a knife in his mouth，was already on top of the fence．
But in that moment，the fight was over and we had won．Gray cut down one man with his sword．Another was shot as he fired into the house，and now lay wounded with his smoking pistol in his hand．The doctor had cut down a third．The men on the fence had disappeared back into the trees．And of the four who had climbed into the stockade，only one was not wounded，and he was climbing out again with the fear of death in him．
11
Sea adventure
The doctor，Gray and I ran back into the house．We saw Hunter lying still，after a knock on the head．Joyce lay dead，shot through the head；and the squire was half…carrying the wounded captain．
The pirates did not return，and we had time to take care of the wounded．Out of the eight men who fell in the fight，only three still breathed．One pirate，Hunter，and Captain Smollett；and of these，the first two were nearly dead．The pirate died first，then Hunter only a few hours later．
The captain's wounds were bad but not dangerous．The doctor told him he must not walk or move his arm，and to speak only when it was necessary．
After dinner，the squire and the doctor sat by the captain's side and talked．Then，a little past noon，the doctor took his hat，his pistols and a sword，put the map in his pocket，and walked off quickly through the trees．
I guessed he was going to see Ben Gunn，and thought the doctor was lucky to be walking in the cool shadows of the wood．The house was hot and smelt of blood，and there were dead bodies lying all around．Suddenly，I wanted to get away from that placeand I had an idea！I would go and look for Ben Gunn's boat！Perhaps we would need it some time．That was my excuse to myself，although I knew it was wrong of me to leave only two unwounded men to guard the stockade．It was also wrong of me to leave secretly，but that is what I did．
I filled my pockets with bread，then took two pistols and the powder for them．When Gray and Mr Trelawney were helping the captain，I climbed quickly out of the stockade and ran into the trees．
I made my way towards the east coast．It was late in the afternoon，but still warm．Soon cool air began to reach me，and suddenly there was the sea．I walked along the edge，then up to a small sand…covered hill．
Ben Gunn had told me his boat was hidden near the white rock，and I found that rock farther along the beach．The little boat was hidden in the grassa small，rough thing，made of wood and goat…skins．
I knew I should go back to the stockade now，but an idea came to me and I sat down to wait for darkness．As the last of the day disappeared，there were two lights in the blackness．One came from a great fire on the shore where the pirates sat singing and drinking；the other came from the Hispaniola out at sea．
I put the small boat on my shoulders and carried it to the edge of the water，then I put it in the sea．It was a very safe boat，but difficult to control．It turned every way except the one I wanted to go！
The sea carried me out to the Hispaniola．I knew if I cut the anchor rope at the wrong moment，the Hispaniola would make a sudden move out to sea，and my boat might be knocked out of the water．So I took my knife and cut almost through the rope，then waited，listening to the sound of two loud voices coming from the cabin．Both men sounded drunk，and both were angry．
At last the wind turned the ship towards me and now I cut all the way through the rope．As fast as I could，I pushed my little boat along the side of the ship，desperate to get away before the ship crashed into me．Just as I gave the final push，my hand found a rope over the end of the ship．
I don't know why I took hold of the rope，but I did．I pulled my boat near to the ship，then stood up to see through the cabin window．I had wondered why the two men weren't on deck，but one look through the window gave me my answer．It was Israel Hands and the man in the red cap，now locked in battle，each with a hand round the other's neck．
I dropped down in the boat again，looking over my shoulder at the shore．And there，right behind me，was the pirate's fire on the beach！Then the wind，with sudden violence，turned the Hispaniola，and my little boat with it，and we were both sailing fast into the open sea．
There were sudden shouts and the sound of hurrying feet as the two men ran on deck．I lay down in my boat，sure that when we reached the rough，open water，that would be the end for me．I lay there for many hours，but at last I fell asleep，and in my small，helpless boat，dreamed of home and the Admiral Benbow．
It was daylight when I woke up．The sun was still hidden be…hind Spyglass Hill，which came down to the sea in dangerous cliffs on this side of the island．It was no place to row ashore，or I would be killed on the rocks．Also，the boat was so small that when I rowed，the waves came over the sides of the boat．I decided to wait until the sea took me somewhere safer on the north side of the island．
‘I must keep the water out of the boat，’I thought，‘but I can row a little in the smooth places．’
It was very tiring work，and it kept me busy so that I did not look up and see the Hispaniola until she was just half a mile away from me！But something strange was happening to her．First the ship turned north，then suddenly to the west a…gain．
‘She's out of control！’I
