The Chief's Fall

There never was such an overturn in this world. Each of these six men was as though he had been struck. But with Silver the blow passed almost instantly. Every thought of his soul had been set full-stretch, like a racer, on that money; well, he was brought up, in a single second, dead; and he kept his head, found his temper, and changed his plan before the others had had time to realize the disappointment.

There had never been such a shocking reversal in the world. Each of the six men looked as if he had been struck. But Silver recovered from the blow almost instantly. He had set every thought on the money, like a racer at full stretch. Then, in a single second, he was brought to a dead stop. But he kept his head, regained his composure, and changed his plan before the others had even realized their disappointment.

“Jim,” he whispered, “take that, and stand by for trouble.”

“Jim,” he whispered, “take that and be ready for trouble.”

And he passed me a double-barrelled pistol.

And he handed me a double-barreled pistol.

At the same time, he began quietly moving northward, and in a few steps had put the hollow between us two and the other five. Then he looked at me and nodded, as much as to say, “Here is a narrow corner,” as, indeed, I thought it was. His looks were not quite friendly, and I was so revolted at these constant changes that I could not forbear whispering, “So you’ve changed sides again.”

At the same time, he quietly began moving north. Within a few steps, the hollow lay between the two of us and the other five. Then he looked at me and nodded, as if to say, “We’re in a tight spot.” I certainly thought so too. He did not look entirely friendly, and I was so disgusted by his constant changes of sides that I could not help whispering, “So you’ve changed sides again.”

There was no time left for him to answer in. The buccaneers, with oaths and cries, began to leap, one after another, into the pit and to dig with their fingers, throwing the boards aside as they did so. Morgan found a piece of gold. He held it up with a perfect spout of oaths. It was a two-guinea piece, and it went from hand to hand among them for a quarter of a minute.

There was no time for him to answer. Shouting and swearing, the pirates began jumping into the pit one after another. They dug with their fingers, throwing the boards aside as they dug. Morgan found a gold coin. He held it up, swearing furiously. It was a two-guinea piece, and they passed it from hand to hand for fifteen seconds.

“Two guineas!” roared Merry, shaking it at Silver. “That’s your seven hundred thousand pounds, is it? You’re the man for bargains, ain’t you? You’re him that never bungled nothing, you wooden-headed lubber!”

“Two guineas!” roared Merry, shaking it at Silver. “That's your seven hundred thousand pounds, is it? You're good at making bargains, aren't you? You're the man who never messed anything up, you thickheaded fool!”

“Dig away, boys,” said Silver with the coolest insolence; “you’ll find some pig-nuts and I shouldn’t wonder.”

“Keep digging, boys,” Silver said with cool insolence. “I wouldn’t be surprised if you found some pig-nuts.”

“Pig-nuts!” repeated Merry, in a scream. “Mates, do you hear that? I tell you now, that man there knew it all along. Look in the face of him and you’ll see it wrote there.”

“Pig-nuts!” Merry screamed. “Mates, did you hear that? I’m telling you, that man knew all along. Look at his face and you’ll see it written there.”

“Ah, Merry,” remarked Silver, “standing for cap’n again? You’re a pushing lad, to be sure.”

“Ah, Merry,” said Silver, “trying to be captain again? You’re an ambitious lad, that’s for sure.”

But this time everyone was entirely in Merry’s favour. They began to scramble out of the excavation, darting furious glances behind them. One thing I observed, which looked well for us: they all got out upon the opposite side from Silver.

But this time everyone was completely on Merry’s side. They began scrambling out of the excavation, casting furious glances behind them. I noticed one thing that looked good for us: they all climbed out on the opposite side from Silver.

Well, there we stood, two on one side, five on the other, the pit between us, and nobody screwed up high enough to offer the first blow. Silver never moved; he watched them, very upright on his crutch, and looked as cool as ever I saw him. He was brave, and no mistake.

Well, there we stood, two on one side and five on the other, with the pit between us. Nobody had worked up the courage to strike the first blow. Silver never moved. He stood very straight on his crutch, watching them, and looked as cool as I had ever seen him. He was brave, no doubt about it.

At last Merry seemed to think a speech might help matters.

At last, Merry seemed to think a speech might help.

“Mates,” says he, “there’s two of them alone there; one’s the old cripple that brought us all here and blundered us down to this; the other’s that cub that I mean to have the heart of. Now, mates—”

“Mates,” he says, “there are only two of them there. One is the old cripple who brought us all here and blundered us into this mess. The other is that boy whose heart I mean to have. Now, mates...”

He was raising his arm and his voice, and plainly meant to lead a charge. But just then—crack! crack! crack!—three musket-shots flashed out of the thicket. Merry tumbled head foremost into the excavation; the man with the bandage spun round like a teetotum and fell all his length upon his side, where he lay dead, but still twitching; and the other three turned and ran for it with all their might.

He was raising his arm and his voice, clearly intending to lead a charge. But just then, crack! crack! crack! Three musket shots flashed from the bushes. Merry fell headfirst into the pit. The man with the bandage spun around like a top and fell flat on his side. He lay there dead, but still twitching. The other three turned and ran as fast as they could.

Before you could wink, Long John had fired two barrels of a pistol into the struggling Merry, and as the man rolled up his eyes at him in the last agony, “George,” said he, “I reckon I settled you.”

In the blink of an eye, Long John had fired both barrels of a pistol into the struggling Merry. As Merry rolled his eyes up at Long John in his final agony, Long John said, “George, I reckon I finished you.”

At the same moment, the doctor, Gray, and Ben Gunn joined us, with smoking muskets, from among the nutmeg-trees.

At the same moment, the doctor, Gray, and Ben Gunn came out from among the nutmeg trees and joined us. Their muskets were still smoking.

“Forward!” cried the doctor. “Double quick, my lads. We must head ’em off the boats.”

“Forward!” shouted the doctor. “Hurry, lads. We must stop them from reaching the boats.”

And we set off at a great pace, sometimes plunging through the bushes to the chest.

And we set off quickly, sometimes pushing through chest-high bushes.

I tell you, but Silver was anxious to keep up with us. The work that man went through, leaping on his crutch till the muscles of his chest were fit to burst, was work no sound man ever equalled; and so thinks the doctor. As it was, he was already thirty yards behind us and on the verge of strangling when we reached the brow of the slope.

I tell you, Silver was desperate to keep up with us. He leaped along on his crutch until his chest muscles were ready to burst. No man with two sound legs ever worked so hard, and the doctor agrees. Even so, Silver was already thirty yards behind us and nearly choking when we reached the top of the slope.

“Doctor,” he hailed, “see there! No hurry!”

“Doctor,” he called, “look there! No hurry!”

Sure enough there was no hurry. In a more open part of the plateau, we could see the three survivors still running in the same direction as they had started, right for Mizzenmast Hill. We were already between them and the boats; and so we four sat down to breathe, while Long John, mopping his face, came slowly up with us.

Sure enough, there was no hurry. In a more open part of the plateau, we could see the three survivors. They were still running in the same direction as before, straight toward Mizzenmast Hill. We were already between them and the boats, so the four of us sat down to catch our breath. Long John wiped his face as he slowly came up to join us.

“Thank ye kindly, doctor,” says he. “You came in in about the nick, I guess, for me and Hawkins. And so it’s you, Ben Gunn!” he added. “Well, you’re a nice one, to be sure.”

“Thank you kindly, doctor,” he said. “I guess you arrived just in time for Hawkins and me. And so it’s you, Ben Gunn!” he added. “Well, you’re quite a character, aren’t you?”

“I’m Ben Gunn, I am,” replied the maroon, wriggling like an eel in his embarrassment. “And,” he added, after a long pause, “how do, Mr. Silver? Pretty well, I thank ye, says you.”

“I’m Ben Gunn, I am,” replied the stranded man, wriggling like an eel in embarrassment. After a long pause, he added, “And how are you, Mr. Silver? Pretty well, thank you, you say.”

“Ben, Ben,” murmured Silver, “to think as you’ve done me!”

“Ben, Ben,” murmured Silver, “to think you’ve gotten the better of me!”

The doctor sent back Gray for one of the pick-axes deserted, in their flight, by the mutineers, and then as we proceeded leisurely downhill to where the boats were lying, related in a few words what had taken place. It was a story that profoundly interested Silver; and Ben Gunn, the half-idiot maroon, was the hero from beginning to end.

The doctor sent Gray back for one of the pickaxes the mutineers had abandoned as they fled. Then, as we walked slowly downhill to the boats, the doctor briefly told us what had happened. The story deeply interested Silver, and Ben Gunn, the half-witted castaway, was its hero from beginning to end.

Ben, in his long, lonely wanderings about the island, had found the skeleton—it was he that had rifled it; he had found the treasure; he had dug it up (it was the haft of his pick-axe that lay broken in the excavation); he had carried it on his back, in many weary journeys, from the foot of the tall pine to a cave he had on the two-pointed hill at the north-east angle of the island, and there it had lain stored in safety since two months before the arrival of the Hispaniola.

During his long, lonely wanderings around the island, Ben had found the skeleton. He was the one who had searched it for valuables. He had found the treasure and dug it up. (The broken pickaxe handle in the hole was his.) He had carried the treasure on his back from the foot of the tall pine. It took him many weary trips to bring it to a cave he had on the two-pointed hill at the island’s northeast corner. The treasure had been stored safely there since two months before the Hispaniola arrived.

When the doctor had wormed this secret from him on the afternoon of the attack, and when next morning he saw the anchorage deserted, he had gone to Silver, given him the chart, which was now useless—given him the stores, for Ben Gunn’s cave was well supplied with goats’ meat salted by himself—given anything and everything to get a chance of moving in safety from the stockade to the two-pointed hill, there to be clear of malaria and keep a guard upon the money.

On the afternoon of the attack, the doctor had coaxed this secret out of him. The next morning, the doctor saw that the anchorage was deserted. He went to Silver and gave him the chart, which was now useless. He also gave Silver the stores, since Ben Gunn’s cave was well stocked with goat meat that Ben had salted himself. The doctor gave Silver anything and everything to get a chance to move safely from the stockade to the two-pointed hill. There, he could escape the malaria and keep watch over the money.

“As for you, Jim,” he said, “it went against my heart, but I did what I thought best for those who had stood by their duty; and if you were not one of these, whose fault was it?”

“As for you, Jim,” he said, “it hurt me to do it. But I did what I thought was best for those who had done their duty. And if you weren’t one of them, whose fault was that?”

That morning, finding that I was to be involved in the horrid disappointment he had prepared for the mutineers, he had run all the way to the cave, and leaving the squire to guard the captain, had taken Gray and the maroon and started, making the diagonal across the island to be at hand beside the pine. Soon, however, he saw that our party had the start of him; and Ben Gunn, being fleet of foot, had been dispatched in front to do his best alone. Then it had occurred to him to work upon the superstitions of his former shipmates, and he was so far successful that Gray and the doctor had come up and were already ambushed before the arrival of the treasure-hunters.

That morning, he learned that I would share in the terrible disappointment he had prepared for the mutineers. So he ran all the way to the cave and left the squire to guard the captain. Then he set out with Gray and the maroon, crossing the island diagonally to reach the pine in time. Soon, however, he saw that our party was ahead of them. Ben Gunn could run fast, so he was sent ahead to do his best alone. Ben then thought of playing on his former shipmates’ superstitions. He succeeded well enough that Gray and the doctor caught up and were already lying in ambush before the treasure hunters arrived.

“Ah,” said Silver, “it were fortunate for me that I had Hawkins here. You would have let old John be cut to bits, and never given it a thought, doctor.”

“Ah,” said Silver, “I was lucky to have Hawkins here. You would have let old John be cut to pieces without a second thought, doctor.”

“Not a thought,” replied Dr. Livesey cheerily.

“Not at all,” Dr. Livesey replied cheerfully.

And by this time we had reached the gigs. The doctor, with the pick-axe, demolished one of them, and then we all got aboard the other and set out to go round by sea for North Inlet.

By then, we had reached the boats. The doctor smashed one with the pickaxe. Then we all got into the other and set out by sea for North Inlet.

This was a run of eight or nine miles. Silver, though he was almost killed already with fatigue, was set to an oar, like the rest of us, and we were soon skimming swiftly over a smooth sea. Soon we passed out of the straits and doubled the south-east corner of the island, round which, four days ago, we had towed the Hispaniola.

The trip was eight or nine miles. Though Silver was already almost dead from exhaustion, he had to row like the rest of us. We were soon moving swiftly over a smooth sea. Before long, we passed out of the straits and rounded the southeast corner of the island. Four days earlier, we had towed the Hispaniola around that corner.

As we passed the two-pointed hill, we could see the black mouth of Ben Gunn’s cave and a figure standing by it, leaning on a musket. It was the squire, and we waved a handkerchief and gave him three cheers, in which the voice of Silver joined as heartily as any.

As we passed the two-pointed hill, we could see the dark entrance to Ben Gunn’s cave. A figure stood beside it, leaning on a musket. It was the squire. We waved a handkerchief and gave him three cheers. Silver joined in as heartily as anyone.

Three miles farther, just inside the mouth of North Inlet, what should we meet but the Hispaniola, cruising by herself? The last flood had lifted her, and had there been much wind or a strong tide current, as in the southern anchorage, we should never have found her more, or found her stranded beyond help. As it was, there was little amiss beyond the wreck of the main-sail. Another anchor was got ready and dropped in a fathom and a half of water. We all pulled round again to Rum Cove, the nearest point for Ben Gunn’s treasure-house; and then Gray, single-handed, returned with the gig to the Hispaniola, where he was to pass the night on guard.

Three miles farther on, just inside the mouth of North Inlet, what should we find but the Hispaniola, drifting alone? The last rising tide had lifted her. If there had been much wind or a strong tidal current, as there was at the southern anchorage, we would never have found her again, or we would have found her stranded beyond help. As it was, little was wrong apart from the ruined mainsail. We prepared another anchor and dropped it in a fathom and a half of water. We all rowed back around to Rum Cove, the nearest point to Ben Gunn’s treasure-house. Then Gray returned alone in the gig to the Hispaniola, where he was to stand guard overnight.

A gentle slope ran up from the beach to the entrance of the cave. At the top, the squire met us. To me he was cordial and kind, saying nothing of my escapade either in the way of blame or praise. At Silver’s polite salute he somewhat flushed.

A gentle slope led from the beach to the cave entrance. At the top, the squire met us. He was warm and kind to me, and neither blamed nor praised me for my escapade. He blushed slightly when Silver greeted him politely.

“John Silver,” he said, “you’re a prodigious villain and imposter—a monstrous imposter, sir. I am told I am not to prosecute you. Well, then, I will not. But the dead men, sir, hang about your neck like mill-stones.”

“John Silver,” he said, “you’re a terrible villain and a fraud. A monstrous fraud, sir. I’ve been told not to prosecute you. Well, I won’t. But the dead men, sir, hang around your neck like millstones.”

“Thank you kindly, sir,” replied Long John, again saluting.

“Thank you, sir,” Long John replied, saluting again.

“I dare you to thank me!” cried the squire. “It is a gross dereliction of my duty. Stand back.”

“Don’t you dare thank me!” cried the squire. “It’s a serious failure of duty on my part. Stand back.”

And thereupon we all entered the cave. It was a large, airy place, with a little spring and a pool of clear water, overhung with ferns. The floor was sand. Before a big fire lay Captain Smollett; and in a far corner, only duskily flickered over by the blaze, I beheld great heaps of coin and quadrilaterals built of bars of gold. That was Flint’s treasure that we had come so far to seek and that had cost already the lives of seventeen men from the Hispaniola. How many it had cost in the amassing, what blood and sorrow, what good ships scuttled on the deep, what brave men walking the plank blindfold, what shot of cannon, what shame and lies and cruelty, perhaps no man alive could tell. Yet there were still three upon that island—Silver, and old Morgan, and Ben Gunn—who had each taken his share in these crimes, as each had hoped in vain to share in the reward.

Then we all entered the cave. It was large and airy, with a small spring and a pool of clear water beneath overhanging ferns. The floor was covered in sand. Captain Smollett lay before a big fire. In a far corner, dimly lit by the flickering flames, I saw great heaps of coins and rectangular stacks of gold bars. This was Flint’s treasure, which we had come so far to find. It had already cost the lives of seventeen men from the Hispaniola. Perhaps no one alive could say how many lives had been lost in gathering the treasure. How much blood and sorrow had it cost? How many fine ships had been sunk at sea? How many brave men had been blindfolded and made to walk the plank? How much cannon fire, shame, lies, and cruelty had there been? Yet three men still on the island had each taken part in these crimes: Silver, old Morgan, and Ben Gunn. Each had also hoped in vain to share in the reward.

“Come in, Jim,” said the captain. “You’re a good boy in your line, Jim, but I don’t think you and me’ll go to sea again. You’re too much of the born favourite for me. Is that you, John Silver? What brings you here, man?”

“Come in, Jim,” said the captain. “You’re a good boy in your own way, Jim, but I don’t think you and I will go to sea again. You’re too much of a natural favorite for me. Is that you, John Silver? What brings you here, man?”

“Come back to my dooty, sir,” returned Silver.

“Come back to my duty, sir,” replied Silver.

“Ah!” said the captain, and that was all he said.

“Ah!” said the captain. That was all he said.

What a supper I had of it that night, with all my friends around me; and what a meal it was, with Ben Gunn’s salted goat and some delicacies and a bottle of old wine from the Hispaniola. Never, I am sure, were people gayer or happier. And there was Silver, sitting back almost out of the firelight, but eating heartily, prompt to spring forward when anything was wanted, even joining quietly in our laughter—the same bland, polite, obsequious seaman of the voyage out.

What a supper I had that night, with all my friends around me! We had Ben Gunn’s salted goat, some delicacies, and a bottle of old wine from the Hispaniola. I’m sure no one was ever more cheerful or happy. And there was Silver, sitting back almost out of the firelight but eating heartily. He was quick to spring forward whenever anything was needed. He even joined quietly in our laughter. He was the same pleasant, polite, overly eager-to-please sailor he had been on the voyage out.