Treasure Island Page #5

O'Brien, you were aloft with him.

How'd it happen?

I don't know, sir.

A bit choked up I be, sir.

Henry was my friend.

He swooned, like, and fell like a plummet.

Poor Henry. Leastwise he'll never

know what struck him.

I'm thankful for that.

- Boatswain.

- Aye, sir.

- Prepare this body for burial.

- Prepare the body for burial.

Land ho! Land ho!

Where away?

Here, here, here.

Livesey, it's irreverent, but,

damn me, come, sir.

Gray.

- Where?

- There it be, right under the cloud bank!

- There she be.

- Where?

Look, right there,

underneath that cloud there.

Bless my soul.

Bless everybody's soul, matey.

It's it! Gadzooks, Livesey, if it isn't it!

The spot seems on the side of a hill.

Rotten to the core.

Jim, run out to the apple barrel

and fetch us some good ones.

My pleasure, sir.

Tomorrow, Livesey, tomorrow.

We'll land at dawn...

...and we'll have the doubloons

by sundown.

You're as smart as paint to join up, Dick.

Aye, Dick listened the minute

he heard there was treasure.

Don't you know the exact spot

it's buried, now you're here?

Flint saw to that.

He left his ship in the same place

as we're anchored.

He took the treasure and six brave lads

and went ashore.

And when he came back,

he came back alone.

"Dead men don't bite

nor tell no tales," says he.

- Well, I'm with you.

- How about the others?

Oh, you mean Gray and Allan and...?

Oh, they be stupid souls.

Well, we'll talk to them.

Now, lookie, John, now we're here...

...how long are we gonna stand

off and on like a blessed bumboat?

When do we strike, John?

The last minute that I can manage,

that's when.

We could all steer a course for home,

but who's to set one?

Captain Smollett's

a good navigator, he will.

They takes the map,

gets the treasure, brings it aboard.

Captain Smollett takes us out

into the trade winds...

...and then one day,

they all disappear overboard.

Result of a very heavy storm at sea.

Like Flint ye be, John.

And the flower of the flock was Flint.

Hey, Dick, you're a nice lad.

Get me an apple out of that barrel

to sweeten my pipe with, will you?

Silver. Silver. Silver.

George Merry and the others

is breaking out arms.

- Now, I told them you was against it.

- Why, the fools.

Aye.

This molasses is sweeter

than Silver said it'd be.

Ephraim, look-see if that box of prunes

don't turn into powder and ball.

Who smuggled these arms

aboard this ship?

I did. I'll tell you when to break them out.

And that's the whole awful story, sir.

I wish I'd only dreamt it.

There's your lighthearted crew for you.

Captain Smollett,

I own myself an utter ass.

I await your orders.

What beats me is how they've been

held in check so remarkably.

With your permission, captain,

that's Silver. A very remarkable man.

Yes, he'd look remarkably well

swinging from a yardarm, sir.

Easy, Jim.

Steady, boy.

You may have been the means

of saving the lot of us.

- Don't flounder now.

- I'm not afraid.

Let's see, there are seven of us,

including young Hawkins here.

We were nine.

What's the first move?

Silver's anxious to conceal

everything and hold on.

I'm anxious to give him the chance.

So we'll send the crew ashore alone.

It's my idea they'll be glad to go.

Think they'll bark their shins

on the treasure.

If they all go, we up anchor

and run with the ship.

If none go, we'll try and hold this cabin,

and God defend the right.

Redruth, you load

and distribute those muskets.

If only a few go ashore...

...you mark my word, Silver will

bring them back, as mild as lambs.

- Come and get your sidearms, gentlemen.

- Come on, Jim.

- You can spy out a lot more for us.

- Exactly, boy. They trust you.

Why, you and Silver

have been great friends.

I know. Why, we were mates,

and we were gonna hunt goats together.

I even asked him to live with me.

He was the best friend I knew.

He gave me this.

I never knew anybody like him before.

But I know him now.

Certain, I do.

Ship's cook means luck ashore, mates.

Shove off, lads.

Silver has left six men.

One of them might be honest.

Jim!

Who told you to come along?

Well, nobody. I just...

Hey, what?

Jim! Come here.

Wait for me, matey.

Jim? You hear me?

Jim! You come back here!

- Hunter, did Jim go ashore?

- Why, yes, sir.

- I thought it was part of the plan, sir.

- Gentlemen, this is bad business.

Now, come now, Tom.

You haul to and think it over.

What are you telling me, John Silver?

I'll not listen to the likes of that.

Now, be off. I don't want

my rigging fouled with mutiny.

- I'm an honest seaman, you hear?

- Yeah, I'll lay to that...

...but, Tom, you're smart as paint.

Why, I knew that the minute

I clapped eyes on you.

You ain't gonna let honesty

stand in the way of being smart, are you?

- In heaven's name, what was that?

- That? I reckon that be Allan.

So you killed Allan, have you?

Well, rest his soul for a true seaman.

But kill me if you can. I defies you.

That's two.

- Not Jim. They wouldn't do...

- They'll do anything now.

Our only chance is to...

Stay below there, you men.

Get back in that hold.

We've got to abandon ship.

Load the jollyboat with all the provisions

and powder she'll carry.

You men get that boat in the water

and get it loaded up.

- Why abandon ship?

- They've shown their hand.

When they come back, they'll board it.

They've killed two men already.

We're next.

- Can't we hold them off?

- With these swine at our backs?

If we tried to hold

that aft cabin, they'd burn it.

We've got to get to Flint's blockhouse.

If that stockade is still standing,

we can at least make a fight of it.

Gray! Abraham Gray!

We're about to leave this ship.

I think you're an honest man.

If you wanna do your duty,

come out and follow me.

- I'm with you, sir.

- Good man.

- Lay aft and help with the boat.

- Aye, sir.

Don't shoot. Don't shoot.

- Who are you?

- I'm Ben Gunn.

I'm poor old Ben Gunn.

And I haven't spoken to a Christian

these three years.

Three years?

- Were you shipwrecked?

- Nay, mate. Marooned.

Marooned three years agone.

And I lived on oysters

and berries and goats.

My heart's sore for Christian diet.

You mightn't happen to have

a piece of cheese about you, now?

- No.

- "No," says you?

Well, says I, many a long night

I dreamed of cheese.

It's toasted, mostly.

Then I wake up again, and here I were.

Well, if I ever get aboard again,

you shall have some.

Well, now, what's to hinder you

getting aboard now?

- Ain't old Flint's ship, be it?

- Oh, no. Flint's dead.

But most of his hands are aboard her.

- Worse luck for us.

- Not a one-legged man?

You mean Silver?

If you was sent by Long John,

I'm just the same as pork, and I know it.

But who are the rest

you spoke about, matey?

Well, there's Dr. Livesey

and Squire Trelawney and the captain.

Squires and doctors, says you?

Gentlemen born, says I. That's different.

- Have they showed themselves ashore yet?

- No.

Lively, doctor, lively!

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