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！
No one took much notice of me； only one man saying；‘Is that you ；Jim？’But Silver called from the other boat； wanting to know if it was me。 Then I began to worry if I had done the right thing。
The crews rowed to the beach and our boat arrived first。 I ran towards the trees 。Silver and the rest were a hundred me－tres behind ；and I heard him shouting；‘Jim ；Jim！’But I took no notice； pushing through trees and bushes； and ran until I could run no longer。
I was pleased to lose Long John and began to enjoy looking around this strange island。 I crossed wet ground and came to a long；open piece of sand； then went on to a place where the trees had branches that were thick and close to the sand。
Just then I heard distant voices； Sliver's among them； and hid behind a tree。 Through the leaves； I saw Long John Silver and another of the crew talking together。
‘I'm warning you because I'm your friend； Tom； Silver was saying。
‘Silver；’said Tom。‘You're old and you're honest； or so men say； and you've money； too； which lots of poor seamen haven't。 And you're brave。 Why let yourself be led away with that kind of scoundrel？ I'd rather die than…’
Suddenly ；there was a noise of distant shouting； then a long horrible scream 。I had found one honest man here； and that ter－rible； distant scream told me of another。
‘John！’said Tom。‘What was that？’
‘That？’replied Silver。 His eyes shone like pieces of broken glass in the sun。‘That'll be Alan。’
‘Alan！’cried poor Tom。‘An honest and true seaman ！John Silver； you've been a friend of mine； but for no longer 。You've killed Alan； have you？ Then kill me； too；if you can！’
The brave man turned his back on Silver and began to walk back to the beach 。With a shout ；Silver threw his crutch through the air。 It hit poor Tom between the shoulders； and he fell to the ground with a cry。 Silver； as quick as a monkey ；was on top of him in a moment。 Twice he dug his knife into that poor body。
As I watched； the whole world seemed to swim away before me in a mist…Silver； the birds above； the tall Spyglass hill。 When I was myself again； Silver was standing with his crutchunder his arm； cleaning the blood from his knife with some grass。
As silently as I could； I began to move away ；and as soon as was clear of the trees； began to run as I had never run before。
9
The man of the island
But almost immediately I ran into a new danger。As I ran； I heard some small stones falling from the side of a steep hill。 I stopped to look round； and saw a figure jump quickly behind a tree。Frightened； I turned back towards the boats； but the figure appeared again and moved with the speedof an animal。 But it was a man； I knew that now。
I remembered I had a pistol if I needed it； and turned back towards this man of the island。 He was hiding behind another tree but stepped out to meet me。
‘Who are you ？I asked； staring at him。
‘Ben Gunn ；’he answered； and his voice sounded rough andstrange 。His skin was burnt nearly black by the sun and his clothes were made from pieces of a ship's sail。‘Poor Ben Gunn；’he went on。‘Alone for three years。’
‘Were you shipwrecked？’I asked。
‘No ；my friend；’he said。‘Marooned。’
I had heard the word before； and knew it meant a cruel pun－ishment often used by pirates－leaving a man alone on some distant； empty island。
‘Marooned three years； he continued；‘ living on wild goats and fish。 But I'm desperate for real English food。 You don't have a piece of cheese； do you？ Many nights I've dreamed of cheese。’
‘If I can get on board ship again； ’I said； ‘you can have as much cheese as you want。’
‘Who's going to prevent you？’he said。‘And tell me your name。
‘Jim；’I told him。
‘Well； Jim；’he said； looking around and lowering his voice to a whisper； ‘I'm rich。’I was now sure the poor man was crazy ；but he repeated his words。‘Rich； I say！ Now ；Jim ；that isn't Flint's ship； is it？’
I began to think that I had found a friend； and I answered him at once。‘It's not Flint's ship。 Flint is dead； but there are some of Flint's men aboard； and that's bad news for us。’
‘A man with one leg？’he asked； fear in his voice。
‘Silver？’I asked。
‘Yes ；Silver；’he said；‘that was his name。’
‘He's the cook； and their leader ；too。’ And I told him the whole story of our voyage； and the danger we were now in。
‘You're in trouble； Jim；’he said when I'd finished。‘Well； Ben Gunn will help you。 Will your squire be generous if I do； do you think？ I don't want him to give me a job； but will he give me one thousand pounds out of money that's really mine？’
‘I'm sure he will；’I said。
‘And take me home on your ship？’
‘If we can escape from the others；’I told him；‘we'll need your help to get the ship home。’
He seemed happy with this．‘I was in Flint's ship when he and six seamen hid the treasure，’he said．‘They were on shore nearly a week，then Flint came back alone．Not a man on board could guess how he had killed the others．Then I was in another ship，three years ago，and we saw this island．“Boys，”I said，“let's go ashore and find Flint's treasure．”Twelve days we searched，and the men got angrier with me every day．Then they went back to the ship．“Ben Gunn，”they said，“you can stay here and find Flint's money．Here's a gun，a spade and an axe．”Well，Jim，I've been here for three years，and no real food from that day to this．But I've found things to do，oh yes！’Here he closed one eye and smiled at me．‘Now go to your squire and tell him Ben Gunn is a good man．
‘I will，’I said，‘but how will I get on board？’
‘There's my boat that I made with my two hands，’he said．‘I keep her under the white rock．We might try that after dark．’
Although there was another hour before the sun went down，we suddenly heard the sound of the ship's gun．
‘They've begun to fight！’I cried．‘Follow me．’
10
Inside the stockade
We followed the noise of the fighting and came to a hill．There stood a strong wooden house，big enough for forty people，and with holes for guns on every side．All around the house was a wide open piece of land；and around that was a fence，two metres high，with no doors or openings，and too strong to pull down easily．
As soon as Ben Gunn saw the English flag flying over thehouse，he said，‘There are your friends．’
‘More likely to be the pirates，’I answered．
‘Silver would put up the pirate's flag，the Jolly Roger，’said Ben．‘No，there's been a fight，and your friends have won．They're inside the stockade that Flint made years ago．’
‘Then I must hurry and join them，’I said．
He wouldn't come with me．‘I won't come until you've seen your gentleman and got his promise．You know where to find me，Jim．And if the pirates sleep on shore tonight，one of them might have an unpleasant surprise！’
The ship's gun BOOMED！and the shot fell only a hundredmetres away．Ben Gunn and I each ran our different ways．Thefiring continued for another hour，and I moved quietly through the trees to the shore．There I saw the Hispaniola in the bay—but the Jolly Roger was flying over her！