Part Six: Captain Silver - Chapter 34: And Last

by Robert Louis Stevenson

　　The next morning we fell early to work, for thetransportation of this great mass of gold near a mileby land to the beach, and thence three miles by boat tothe Hispaniola, was a considerable task for so small anumber of workmen. The three fellows still abroad uponthe island did not greatly trouble us; a single sentry onthe shoulder of the hill was sufficient to ensure us againstany sudden onslaught, and we thought, besides, they had hadmore than enough of fighting.

　　Therefore the work was pushed on briskly. Gray and BenGunn came and went with the boat, while the rest duringtheir absences piled treasure on the beach. Two of thebars, slung in a rope's end, made a good load for agrown man--one that he was glad to walk slowly with.For my part, as I was not much use at carrying, I waskept busy all day in the cave packing the minted moneyinto bread-bags.

　　It was a strange collection, like Billy Bones's hoardfor the diversity of coinage, but so much larger and somuch more varied that I think I never had more pleasurethan in sorting them. English, French, Spanish,Portuguese, Georges, and Louises, doubloons and doubleguineas and moidores and sequins, the pictures of allthe kings of Europe for the last hundred years, strangeOriental pieces stamped with what looked like wisps ofstring or bits of spider's web, round pieces and squarepieces, and pieces bored through the middle, as if towear them round your neck--nearly every variety ofmoney in the world must, I think, have found a place inthat collection; and for number, I am sure they werelike autumn leaves, so that my back ached with stoopingand my fingers with sorting them out.

　　Day after day this work went on; by every evening afortune had been stowed aboard, but there was anotherfortune waiting for the morrow; and all this time weheard nothing of the three surviving mutineers.

　　At last--I think it was on the third night--the doctorand I were strolling on the shoulder of the hill whereit overlooks the lowlands of the isle, when, from outthe thick darkness below, the wind brought us a noisebetween shrieking and singing. It was only a snatchthat reached our ears, followed by the former silence.

　　"Heaven forgive them," said the doctor; "'tisthe mutineers!"

　　"All drunk, sir," struck in the voice of Silverfrom behind us.

　　Silver, I should say, was allowed his entire liberty,and in spite of daily rebuffs, seemed to regard himselfonce more as quite a privileged and friendly dependent.Indeed, it was remarkable how well he bore theseslights and with what unwearying politeness he kept ontrying to ingratiate himself with all. Yet, I think,none treated him better than a dog, unless it was BenGunn, who was still terribly afraid of his oldquartermaster, or myself, who had really something tothank him for; although for that matter, I suppose, Ihad reason to think even worse of him than anybodyelse, for I had seen him meditating a fresh treacheryupon the plateau. Accordingly, it was pretty grufflythat the doctor answered him.

　　"Drunk or raving," said he.

　　"Right you were, sir," replied Silver; "and preciouslittle odds which, to you and me."

　　"I suppose you would hardly ask me to call you a humaneman," returned the doctor with a sneer, "and so myfeelings may surprise you, Master Silver. But if Iwere sure they were raving--as I am morally certainone, at least, of them is down with fever--I shouldleave this camp, and at whatever risk to my owncarcass, take them the assistance of my skill."

　　"Ask your pardon, sir, you would be very wrong," quothSilver. "You would lose your precious life, and youmay lay to that. I'm on your side now, hand and glove;and I shouldn't wish for to see the party weakened, letalone yourself, seeing as I know what I owes you. Butthese men down there, they couldn't keep their word--no, not supposing they wished to; and what's more, theycouldn't believe as you could."

　　"No," said the doctor. "You're the man to keep yourword, we know that."

　　Well, that was about the last news we had of the threepirates. Only once we heard a gunshot a great way offand supposed them to be hunting. A council was held,and it was decided that we must desert them on the island--to the huge glee, I must say, of Ben Gunn, and with thestrong approval of Gray. We left a good stock of powderand shot, the bulk of the salt goat, a few medicines, andsome other necessaries, tools, clothing, a spare sail, afathom or two of rope, and by the particular desire of thedoctor, a handsome present of tobacco.

　　That was about our last doing on the island. Beforethat, we had got the treasure stowed and had shippedenough water and the remainder of the goat meat in caseof any distress; and at last, one fine morning, we weighedanchor, which was about all that we could manage, and stoodout of North Inlet, the same colours flying that the captainhad flown and fought under at the palisade.

　　The three fellows must have been watching us closerthan we thought for, as we soon had proved. For comingthrough the narrows, we had to lie very near thesouthern point, and there we saw all three of themkneeling together on a spit of sand, with their armsraised in supplication. It went to all our hearts, Ithink, to leave them in that wretched state; but wecould not risk another mutiny; and to take them homefor the gibbet would have been a cruel sort ofkindness. The doctor hailed them and told them of thestores we had left, and where they were to find them.But they continued to call us by name and appeal to us,for God's sake, to be merciful and not leave them todie in such a place.

　　At last, seeing the ship still bore on her course andwas now swiftly drawing out of earshot, one of them--Iknow not which it was--leapt to his feet with a hoarsecry, whipped his musket to his shoulder, and sent a shotwhistling over Silver's head and through the main-sail.

　　After that, we kept under cover of the bulwarks, andwhen next I looked out they had disappeared from thespit, and the spit itself had almost melted out ofsight in the growing distance. That was, at least, theend of that; and before noon, to my inexpressible joy,the highest rock of Treasure Island had sunk into theblue round of sea.

　　We were so short of men that everyone on board had tobear a hand--only the captain lying on a mattress inthe stern and giving his orders, for though greatlyrecovered he was still in want of quiet. We laid herhead for the nearest port in Spanish America, for wecould not risk the voyage home without fresh hands; andas it was, what with baffling winds and a couple offresh gales, we were all worn out before we reached it.

　　It was just at sundown when we cast anchor in a mostbeautiful land-locked gulf, and were immediatelysurrounded by shore boats full of Negroes and MexicanIndians and half-bloods selling fruits and vegetablesand offering to dive for bits of money. The sight ofso many good-humoured faces (especially the blacks),the taste of the tropical fruits, and above all thelights that began to shine in the town made a mostcharming contrast to our dark and bloody sojourn on theisland; and the doctor and the squire, taking me alongwith them, went ashore to pass the early part of thenight. Here they met the captain of an English man-of-war, fell in talk with him, went on board his ship,and, in short, had so agreeable a time that day wasbreaking when we came alongside the Hispaniola.

　　Ben Gunn was on deck alone, and as soon as we came onboard he began, with wonderful contortions, to make usa confession. Silver was gone. The maroon hadconnived at his escape in a shore boat some hours ago,and he now assured us he had only done so to preserveour lives, which would certainly have been forfeit if"that man with the one leg had stayed aboard." Butthis was not all. The sea-cook had not gone empty-handed. He had cut through a bulkhead unobserved andhad removed one of the sacks of coin, worth perhapsthree or four hundred guineas, to help him on hisfurther wanderings.

　　I think we were all pleased to be so cheaply quit of him.

　　Well, to make a long story short, we got a few hands onboard, made a good cruise home, and the Hispaniolareached Bristol just as Mr. Blandly was beginning tothink of fitting out her consort. Five men only ofthose who had sailed returned with her. "Drink and thedevil had done for the rest," with a vengeance,although, to be sure, we were not quite in so bad acase as that other ship they sang about:

　　With one man of her crew alive, What put to sea with seventy-five.All of us had an ample share of the treasure and usedit wisely or foolishly, according to our natures.Captain Smollett is now retired from the sea. Gray notonly saved his money, but being suddenly smit with thedesire to rise, also studied his profession, and he isnow mate and part owner of a fine full-rigged ship,married besides, and the father of a family. As forBen Gunn, he got a thousand pounds, which he spent orlost in three weeks, or to be more exact, in nineteendays, for he was back begging on the twentieth. Thenhe was given a lodge to keep, exactly as he had fearedupon the island; and he still lives, a great favourite,though something of a butt, with the country boys, anda notable singer in church on Sundays and saints' days.

　　Of Silver we have heard no more. That formidableseafaring man with one leg has at last gone clean outof my life; but I dare say he met his old Negress, andperhaps still lives in comfort with her and CaptainFlint. It is to be hoped so, I suppose, for hischances of comfort in another world are very small.

　　The bar silver and the arms still lie, for all that Iknow, where Flint buried them; and certainly they shalllie there for me. Oxen and wain-ropes would not bringme back again to that accursed island; and the worstdreams that ever I have are when I hear the surfbooming about its coasts or start upright in bed withthe sharp voice of Captain Flint still ringing in myears: "Pieces of eight! Pieces of eight!"