Treasure Island Page #6

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This is the last trip.

So after I was on Flint's ship,

I was on another ship.

That was three years back,

and we spied this island.

"Lads," says I, "there's where

old Flint's treasure's buried.

Let's land and find it."

Twelve days we hunts.

Every day they have worse words for me.

Till one fine morning,

all hands got aboard.

"As for you, Benjamin Gunn," says they...

..."you're so sure Flint's treasure's

buried here...

...you can just stay and find it," says they.

"Now, was that a gentlemanly thing

to do," says you?

Well, did you find it?

That's what your squires and doctors

would like to know, says I.

"Yes," says you?

Snug in behind that rock, Jim,

is my little skin boat and paddle...

...as I made it with my own hands.

You takes it, paddles out,

finds the squire and tells him...

...that Ben Gunn puts

a heap sight more confidence...

...heap sight, mind you...

...in gentlemen born

than gentlemen of fortune.

And then you nips him on the cheek

like I does you.

- Why?

- And then you tells him...

...that Ben Gunn

will meet him on this hill.

He's to come alone

with a white thing in his hand.

Upon my word,

I don't know what you're talking about...

...but I'll tell the squire and doctor

everything that you said.

They've be... They've begun to fight.

Who's the best shot here?

Mr. Trelawney, out and away.

Pick me off one of those pirates,

if you please, sir.

Move sharply, move sharply.

There. Hand me that ball.

That's a score snood!

Come on, my boys.

Stay to your oars, Gray. He's gone. We've

got to beach this boat or she'll swamp.

Larboard. Larboard a little.

We're swamped here, lads.

Hold to your muskets.

Jim, thank heaven you're safe.

Up, lads. Abandon that boat.

Stockade's our only chance.

It's them after-cabin blokes!

They're making for the stockade.

Come on, lads, head them off.

Belay that. Belay that, you swabs!

They'll shoot you down like a lot of gulls.

Get to those gigs

and get back to that ship.

Come on, lads.

Shoot away, me lads.

That's the way to waste powder.

The flag spots the house for them.

Hadn't we better lower it?

Lower the flag?

Strike my colors? Not I, sir.

We've little provisions,

but we've plenty of powder and ball.

And by heaven, sir, this spot is England.

Stockade, ahoy!

It's Silver himself.

I feel this may be a trick.

Doctor, take charge of your watch.

Gray. Joyce.

What do you want

with your flag of truce?

Captain Silver, sir,

wants to come aboard to make terms.

Captain Silver?

Who's he? I never heard of him.

Me, sir. Me.

The poor lads have chosen me their captain

since your desertion, sir.

What's your course, Silver?

One minute's talk with you.

I've no desire to talk with you.

If you wanna come over here, come.

But if there's any treachery, it'll be

on your side, and Lord help you.

That word from you is enough, sir.

I knows a gentleman when I lays

eyes on him, you can lay to that.

Joyce, take the doctor's place.

Well, well, well.

Here we are all together again,

just like one big, happy family.

Top of the morning to you, Jim.

I'd rather you'd sit down, Silver.

Sit down and toss away that crutch

if you're talking to me.

Come, out with it, man.

What do you want?

We want the treasure.

We're gonna have it.

You want your lives, that's yours.

Well, you can have that

if you give us Flint's chart.

I'd see you and the whole island

blown to blazes first.

Well, that... That's an idea.

You give me the chart...

...and the moment the treasure's onboard,

we'll take you along with it.

And I'll give you my affidavit,

upon my word and honor...

...that we'll set you down safe and sound

at the first point of civilization.

- That's on your word of honor.

- My affidavit, gentlemen.

And a handsomer one

you couldn't hope to look at.

That all?

Every last word, by thunder.

Good. Now you hear me.

You come back here,

one by one, unarmed...

...and I'll guarantee to put you in irons,

take you to England and get you a fair trial.

If you refuse,

my name is Alexander Smollett...

...I've flown my sovereign's colors...

...and I'll see you all to Davy Jones.

- That final?

- That's the last good word...

...you'll hear out of me, by heaven.

The next time we meet,

I'll put a bullet in you.

- Do you meet my terms?

- No.

Then tumble out of here, me lad.

Hand over hand, on the double.

- Give me a hand up.

- I'd sooner touch carrion.

Who'll give me a hand up?

Before the hour's up,

I'll crush your blockhouse...

...like it was a puncheon.

Them of you that dies will be lucky.

Inside. Clear decks for action. Quarters,

all hands. They'll board us in a minute.

Now, get over that wall first, and don't use

your muskets only as the last resort.

Morgan, you and yours to the larboard.

Job, you and yours to the starboard.

Now, by the powers, board them.

- Here they come, captain!

- Fire when they top the wall.

Another load, Jim.

More loads, Hawkins. Come, boy.

- Trelawney, sir, you're a man.

- And you're a captain, sir.

At them, you dogfish! At them!

Outside, lads. Outside and

fight them in the open. Cutlasses.

Lively, lively, lads.

My compliments, Mr. Gray.

I've been looking for this.

Inside the house, lads.

They've gone.

Fire from cover.

You crawling squid.

You dogfish.

Don't mind me, sir. Watch them.

They've turned tail for the moment.

My case, Jim.

- Hunter and Joyce are dead, sir.

- My case, Jim.

- Captain Smollett has a ball in his shoulder.

- Oh, yes.

- God rest Hunter and Joyce.

- Amen.

- How many did they lose?

- Seven.

They've had their rations for today.

Well, that makes them nine

against our five, gentlemen.

- Precious sight more confidence, eh?

- Yes, sir.

Here's Gray.

Well? Well, Gray?

They're all camped down by the swamp.

I heard them.

They're like hornets,

and Silver's the maddest.

- It looks like tomorrow will finish us.

- What's in the wind?

They're building rafts

and floating the cannon in from the ship.

Silver says he's going to

blow this blockhouse to limbo.

That settles it.

This Ben Gunn may be our last chance.

- You sure he's all right in the head?

- Well, he's rather silly, sir.

He told me to nip the squire.

Nip me? How?

Begging your pardon, sir, like this.

- A lunatic.

- No harm in finding out.

I have two hours before dawn.

I'll haunt that clearing all day.

It'll take them all day

to get that gun ashore.

If they turn up again,

God be with you, gentlemen.

- Godspeed, doctor.

- Good luck, doctor.

What's the doctor up to?

Oh, he thinks this Ben Gunn fellow

can help us.

How is beyond me.

Says he, says them,

says I, says nothing.

We can't hold out against cannon,

Smollett.

If we could only get out

and cut that ship adrift...

...that'd put an end to the cannon.

Cut off their base of supplies.

We've no boat.

They're undoubtedly watching the gigs.

I know, I know.

The doctor's right.

Our only chance is this Gunn fellow.

- Keep near the house, Jim.

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