5. The Last of the Blind Man

My curiosity was stronger than my fear, for I could not remain where I was. I saw three men, they were running together. In the middle of this trio was the blind beggar.

“Down with the door! ” he cried. “In, in, in! ”

They came in. There was a pause, then a cry of surprise, and then a voice shouting from the house, “Bill’s dead.”

But the blind man cursed them again for their delay.

“Search him,” he cried.

Promptly afterwards, fresh sounds of astonishment arose.

“Pew ,” cried somebody, “someone has been before us. Someone has opened the chest!”

“It’s these people of the inn – it’s that boy!” cried the blind man, Pew. “Find them!”

Suddenly the pirates heard a whistle. Almost at the same time a pistol-shot came from the hedge side. That was the signal of danger, for the men turned at once and ran, separating in every direction. The blind one cried, “Johnny, Black Dog, Dirk, you won’t leave old Pew!”

Just then four or five riders came in sight. Pew ran straight under the nearest of the horses. The rider tried to save him but couldn’t. The blind man was dead.

The riders were officers.

“They got the money?” asked one of them.

“No, sir; not money, I think,” replied I. “In fact, sir, I have the thing in my breast pocket.”

“I’ll take it, if you like,” said he.

“I thought perhaps Dr. Livesey —” I began.

“Perfectly right,” he interrupted, “perfectly right – a gentleman and a magistrate.”

I thanked him heartily for the help.

6. The Captain’s Papers

We rode hard till we drew up before Dr. Livesey’s door. He was sitting with Squire Trelawney .

“Good evening, friend Jim,” said the doctor with a nod. “What good wind brings you here? ”

We told them everything.

“And so, Jim,” said the doctor, “you have the thing that they were looking for, have you?”

“Here it is, sir,” said I, and gave him the packet.

The doctor put it quietly in the pocket of his coat.

A big pigeon pie was brought in and put on a sidetable. I was as hungry as a hawk.

“And now, squire,” said the doctor. “You have heard of this Flint, I suppose?”

“Heard of him!” cried the squire. “Heard of him, you say! He was the most dangerous pirate of all!”

“Well, I’ve heard of him myself, in England,” said the doctor. “But the point is, had he money?”

“Money!” cried the squire. “What do these villains care for but money? ”

“Now, then, if Jim is agreeable,” replied the doctor, “we’ll open the packet”, and he laid it before him on the table.

It contained two things – a book and a sealed paper. The paper has been sealed in several places. The doctor opened the seals with great care, and there fell out the map of an island, with latitude and longitude, names of hills and bays. It was about nine miles long and five across, and had two harbours, and a hill in the centre part marked ‘ The Spy-glass ’. There were three crosses of red ink – two on the north part of the island, one in the southwest—and beside this last these words: “Bulk of treasure here ”.

Over on the back the same hand had written this further information:

“Tall tree, Spy-glass shoulder, bearing a point to the N. of N.N.E.

Skeleton Island E.S.E. and by E .

Ten feet.

J.F.”

That was all; and to me incomprehensible, but it filled the squire and Dr. Livesey with delight.

“Livesey,” said the squire, “you will give up your practice at once. Tomorrow I start for Bristol. In three weeks’ time we’ll have the best ship, sir, and the best crew in England. Hawkins  will come as cabin-boy . You, Livesey, are ship’s doctor; I am admiral.”

“Trelawney,” said the doctor, “I’ll go with you; so will Jim. There’s only one man I’m afraid of.”

“And who’s that?” cried the squire.

“You!” replied the doctor. “For you cannot hold your tongue. We are not the only men who know of this paper.”

“Livesey,” said the squire, “I’ll be as silent as the grave.”

Part Two

The Sea-cook 

7. I Go to Bristol

So the weeks passed on, till one fine day there came a letter addressed to Dr. Livesey, with the addition “To be opened, in the case of his absence, by Tom Redruth or young Hawkins”. I found the following important news:

Dear Livesey,

The ship is bought and fitted, and ready for sea. The name, Hispaniola . I got it through my old friend, Blandly . Everyone here in Bristol helped us when they heard where we wanted to go – for treasure, I mean.

“Redruth,” said I, “Dr. Livesey will not like that. The squire was talking, after all.”

I read straight on:

Blandly himself found the Hispaniola. But some people say that the Hispaniola belonged to him, and that he sold it me absurdly high.

I found an old sailor, he knew all the seamen in Bristol, and wanted to get to sea again. His name is Long John Silver , and he has lost a leg. With the help of Silver I gathered a company of real sea dogs.

So now, Livesey, there’s no time to lose. Let young Hawkins go at once to see his mother and then come quickly to Bristol.

John Trelawney.

PS: Blandly has found us an excellent man to be captain. His name is Smollett .

The next day, after dinner, Redruth and I were afoot again and on the road. I said good-bye to Mother and the cove where I lived, and the dear old Admiral Benbow. Next moment we had turned the corner and my home was out of sight. Soon we found ourselves in Bristol.

I was going to sea myself, to sea in a schooner, with real seamen, to sea, and to seek for buried treasure! While I was still in this delightful dream, we came suddenly in front of a large inn and met Squire Trelawney, all dressed out like a sea-officer, in stout blue cloth, coming out of the door with a smile on his face.

“Here you are,” he cried, “and the doctor came last night from London. Bravo! The ship’s company complete!”

“Oh, sir,” cried I, “when do we sail?”

“Sail!” said he. “We sail tomorrow!”

8. At the Sign of the Spy-glass 

The squire gave me a note addressed to John Silver, at the sign of the Spy-glass. The sign was newly painted; the windows had red curtains. The customers were mostly seamen, and they talked very loudly.

As I was waiting, a man came out of a side room, and I was sure he must be Long John. His left leg was cut off close by the hip, and under the left shoulder he carried a crutch. He was very tall and strong, with a face as big as a ham  – plain and pale, but intelligent and smiling.

One look at the man before me was enough. I saw the captain, and Black Dog, and the blind man, Pew, and I thought I knew what a pirate was like – a very different creature, according to me.

“Mr. Silver, sir?” I asked.

“Yes, my lad,” said he, “such is my name, to be sure. And you are our new cabin-boy; pleased I am to see you.”

Just then one of the customers at the far side rose suddenly and made for the door . I recognized him! It was the tallow-faced man, who came first to the Admiral Benbow.

“Oh,” I cried, “stop him! It’s Black Dog!”

“I don’t care who he is,” cried Silver. “But he hasn’t paid his score. Harry, run and catch him.”

One of the others who was nearest the door leaped up and started in pursuit .

“Who did you say he was?” asked Silver. “Black what?”

“Dog, sir,” said I. “Has Mr. Trelawney not told you of the pirates? He was one of them.”

“So?” cried Silver. “In my house! Ben, run and help Harry. Black Dog? No, I don’t know the name, not I. He used to come here with a blind beggar.”

“I knew that blind man too,” said I. “His name was Pew.”

By the time the two men came back and said that they lost Black Dog in a crowd.

“I hate these pirates,” said Long John. “It’s very serious. I’ll go with you to tell Mr. Trelawney what has happened.”

So he did. Long John told the story from first to last. The two gentlemen regretted that Black Dog got away, but what to do? Long John took his crutch and left us.

“All the crew must be aboard by four this afternoon,” said Mr. Trelawney.