金银岛-第9节

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The　words　calmed　George　Merry．‘Yes，that's　right，’he　said．‘Now　I　think　about　it，it　was　like　Flint's　voice，but　not　exactly　like　it．It　was　like　another　person's　voice…more　like’

‘Ben　Gunn！’shouted　Silver．

‘If　it　was，it's　still　a　ghost，’said　Dick．‘Ben　Gunn's　not　here　in　body，any　more　than　Flint　is．’

But　the　older　men　laughed．‘Nobody　minds　Ben　Gunn，Dead　or　alive，’cried　George．

The　men　were　happy　again，the　colour　back　in　their　faces　as　they　talked　together　and　began　to　walk　on．George　Merry　went　first，leading　the　way　with　Silver's　compass．

We　reached　the　first　tall　tree，but　it　was　the　wrong　one．So　was　the　second．The　third　was　tall　enough　to　be　seen　from　the　sea，both　east　and　west　of　the　island．My　companions　hurried　on，desperate　to　get　their　hands　on　the　seven　hundred　thousand　pounds　in　gold　which　lay　somewhere　under　the　tree's　shadows．

Silver　pulled　at　the　rope　that　held　me，and　turned　his　eyes　upon　me　with　a　deadly　look．I　could　read　his　thoughts．So　near　to　the　gold　now，everything　was　forgotten—his　promise　and　the　doctor's　warning．I　knew　he　hoped　to　take　the　treasure，cut　every　honest　throat　on　that　island，find　and　board　the　Hispaniola　at　night，and　sail　away　a　rich　man　and　a　murderer．

Suddenly，George　Merry　shouted，‘All　together，boys！’，and　the　men　began　to　run．Not　ten　metres　farther　on　they　stopped　and　cried　out．Silver　moved　quickly，and　the　next　moment　we　were　with　them　Before　us　was　a　large　hole，but　it　was　not　a　new　hole　because　grass　grew　on　the　bottom．

There　was　no　treasure．

The　seven　hundred　thousand　pounds　had　gone！

　　



　
15

End　of　an　adventure

　　

The　pirates　could　not　believe　it，but　Silver　remained　calm　and　changed　his　plan　quickly．

‘Jim，’he　whispered，‘take　that，and　be　ready　for　trouble．’And　he　passed　me　a　pistol．

At　the　same　time　he　began　to　move　quietly　and，after　a　few　steps，the　hole　was　between　us　and　the　other　five．He　looked　quite　friendly　now，and　I　couldn't　help　whispering，‘So　you've　changed　sides　again！’

The　pirates　began　to　jump　into　the　hole，and　to　dig　in　the　ground　with　their　fingers．Morgan　found　a　two…guinea　coin，and　it　went　from　hand　to　hand．

‘Two　guineas！’shouted　George　Merry，shaking　it　at　Silver．‘That's　your　seven　hundred　thousand　pounds！You're　the　man　for　bargains，are　you？You're　the　one　who　never　made　a　mistake！’

‘Wanting　to　be　captain　again，George？’said　Silver．

But　this　time，everyone　was　on　George　Merry's　side，and　they　began　to　climb　out　of　the　hole．

‘There's　just　the　two　of　them，’said　George．‘The　old　one…legged　man　who　brought　us　all　here　for　nothing；and　that　boy　who　I'm　going　to　have　the　heart　of！’

He　was　raising　his　arm　and　his　voice，ready　to　lead　them，but　there　was　a　sudden　CRACK！CRACK！CRACK！as　three　gunshots　came　from　the　woods　George　Merry　fell　head　first　in　to　the　hole，and　another　fell　on　his　side，dead　The　other　three　turned　and　ran．

A　moment　later，Dr　Livesey，Gray，and　Ben　Gunn　joined　us　with　smoking　guns，from　among　the　trees．

‘Keep　them　off　the　boats！’cried　the　doctor．

We　began　to　run　at　a　great　speed　through　the　trees，and　Silver　was　soon　thirty　metres　behind　us．

‘Doctor！’he　shouted．‘There's　no　hurry！Look！’

We　saw　he　was　right．In　a　more　open　place，we　could　see　the　three　pirates，still　running，and　we　were　already　between　them　and　the　Boats．So　we　sat　down　to　rest　while　Long　John　came　slowly　up　to　us．

‘Thank　you，doctor，’he　said．‘You　came　at　the　right　time　to　save　me　and　Hawkins．’He　looked　at　Ben　Gunn．‘So　it　was　you，Ben　Gunn，playing　the　ghost！’

We　walked　down　the　hill　to　the　boats　and，as　we　did　so，the　doctor　told　Silver　and　me　his　story．But　it　was　really　Ben's　story　from　beginning　to　end．

Ben，in　his　lonely　walks　around　the　island，had　found　the　skeleton　and　found　the　treasure．He　had　carried　the　gold　on　his　back　in　many　journeys，and　had　taken　it　to　a　cave　on　the　north…east　corner　of　the　island，two　months　before　the　Hispaniola　arrived．

Ben　had　told　the　doctor　this，and　the　next　morning　the　doctor　gave　Silver　the　mapwhich　was　now　uselessand　gave　him　the　food　at　the　stockade，because　there　was　plenty　in　Ben　Gunn's　cave．That　morning，when　the　doctor　saw　I　had　to　go　with　the　pirates　to　find　the　treasure，he　had　left　the　squire　to　look　after　the　captain，then　took　Gray　and　Ben　Gunn　with　him　to　be　ready　to　help　us．

‘I　was　lucky　Hawkins　was　with　me，’said　Silver，‘or　old　John　would　be　dead　by　now，for　sure．’

By　this　time，we　were　at　the　boats．The　doctor　smashed　one　with　an　axe，and　then　we　all　got　into　the　other　and　rowed　to　North　Inlet．The　Hispaniola　was　moving　by　herself　now，the　sea　high　enough　to　take　her　off　the　beach．We　went　round　to　Rum　Cove，the　nearest　landing　place　for　Ben　Gunn's　cave　of　treasure，then　Gray　left　us　there　before　rowing　back　to　guard　the　ship　for　the　night．

Mr　Trelawney　met　us　at　the　cave．He　didn't　blame　me　for　my　desertion，but　he　spoke　differently　to　Silver．‘Silver，’he　said，‘you're　a　scoundrel　and　a　murderer，but　I'm　told　that　I　must　save　you　from　the　law．’

‘Thank　you，sir，’replied　Long　John．

‘I　don't　want　your　thanks！’cried　the　squire．

We　all　entered　the　cave．It　was　large　and　pleasant，with　fresh　water　coming　from　a　place　in　the　ground，and　a　floor　of　sand．Captain　Smollett　lay　in　front　of　a　big　fire，and　in　a　corner　I　saw　coins　and　gold　bars．It　was　Flint's　treasure！

We　had　come　so　far　to　find　this．Already　it　had　cost　the　lives　of　seventeen　men　from　the　Hispaniola．And　how　many　others？How　many　ships　had　gone　to　the　bottom　of　the　sea？How　many　brave　men　had　been　murdered　for　this？Perhaps　no　man　alive　could　tell．

　　

Next　morning，we　moved　all　the　gold　to　the　beach．Then　we　took　it　by　boat　to　the　Hispaniola．It　was　a　big　job　for　so　small　a　number　of　men．

The　three　pirates　who　were　still　on　the　island　did　not　trouble　us．They　were　not　going　to　fight　any　more，and　we　decided　we　must　leave　them　on　the　island．We　left　powder，food，clothes　and　medicine　for　them．

Then　at　last，one　sunny　morning，we　sailed　out　of　North　Inlet　and　towards　the　nearest　port　in　Spanish　America．Before　afternoon，Treasure　Island　had　disappeared　from　view，and　I　had　never　felt　happier　to　leave　a　place　behind．

The　sun　was　going　down　when　we　sailed　into　the　port，and　the　doctor　and　Mr　Trelawney　took　me　on　shore．When　we　came　back，Ben　Gunn　was　waiting　for　us．

‘Silver　has　gone，’he　told　us，‘but　not　empty…handed．He's　taken　one　of　the　bags　of　coins，perhps　worth　three　or　four　hundred　guineas．’

I　think　we　were　all　pleased　to　lose　the　scoundrel　at　so　small　a　price．

We　found　a　crew　for　the　ship　at　the　port，and　then　had　a　good　voyage　home．Only　five　of　the　men　who　had　sailed　from　Bristol　with　the　Hispaniola　returned　with　her．We　all　took　a　large　piece　of　the　treasure，and　some　used　it　sensibly，and　some　did　not．

Captain　Smollett　no　longer　goes　to　sea．Gray　saved　his　money　and　is　now　half…owner　and　captain　of　a　fine　ship．Ben　Gunn　got　a　thousand　pounds　which　he　spent　or　lost　in　three　weeks，then　he　came　begging　and　was　given　a　job　as　a　gatekeeper．

Of　Silver　we　have　heard　no　more．That　frightening　seaman　with　one　leg　has．gone　out　of　my　lift．I　will　never　return　to　Treasure　Island，but　in　my　worst　dreams　I　still　hear　the　sharp，high　scream　of　Captain　Flint　the　parrot：‘Pieces　of　eight！Pieces　of　eight！’

　　



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