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The ship is bought and fitted. She lies at anchor, ready for sea. You never imagined a sweeter schooner – a child might sail her – two hundred tons; name, „Нispaniola“.
I got her through my old friend, Blandly, who has proved himself throughout the most surprising trump. The admirable fellow literally slaved in my interest, and so, I may say, did everyone in Bristol, as soon as they got wind of the port we sailed for – treasure, I mean».
«Redruth», said I, interrupting the letter, «Dr. Livesey will not like that. The squire has been talking, after all».
«Well, who’s a better right?» growled the gamekeeper. «A pretty rum go if squire ain’t to talk for Dr. Livesey, I should think».
At that I gave up all attempts at commentary and read straight on:
«Blandly himself found the „Нispaniola“, and by the most admirable management got her for the merest trifle. There is a class of men in Bristol monstrously prejudiced against Blandly. They go the length of declaring that this honest creature would do anything for money, that the „Нispaniola“ belonged to him, and that he sold it me absurdly high – the most transparent calumnies. None of them dare, however, to deny the merits of the ship.
So far there was not a hitch. The workpeople, to be sure – riggers and what not – were most annoyingly slow; but time cured that. It was the crew that troubled me.
I wished a round score of men – in case of natives, buccaneers, or the odious French – and I had the worry of the deuce itself to find so much as half a dozen, till the most remarkable stroke of fortune brought me the very man that I required.
I was standing on the dock, when, by the merest accident, I fell in talk with him. I found he was an old sailor, kept a public-house, knew all the seafaring men in Bristol, had lost his health ashore, and wanted a good berth as cook to get to sea again. He had hobbled down there that morning, he said, to get a smell of the salt.
I was monstrously touched – so would you have been – and, out of pure pity, I engaged him on the spot to be ship’s cook. Long John Silver, he is called, and has lost a leg; but that I regarded as a recommendation, since he lost it in his country’s service, under the immortal Hawke. He has no pension, Livesey. Imagine the abominable age we live in!
Well, sir, I thought I had only found a cook, but it was a crew I had discovered. Between Silver and myself we got together in a few days a company of the toughest old salts imaginable – not pretty to look at, but fellows, by their faces, of the most indomitable spirit. I declare we could fight a frigate.
Long John even got rid of two out of the six or seven I had already engaged. He showed me in a moment that they were just the sort of fresh-water swabs we had to fear in an adventure of importance.
I am in the most magnificent health and spirits, eating like a bull, sleeping like a tree, yet I shall not enjoy a moment till I hear my old tarpaulins tramping round the capstan. Seaward, ho! Hang the treasure! It’s the glory of the sea that has turned my head. So now, Livesey, come post; do not lose an hour, if you respect me.
Let young Hawkins go at once to see his mother, with Redruth for a guard; and then both come full speed to Bristol.
John Trelawney.
Postscript – I did not tell you that Blandly, who, by the way, is to send a consort after us if we don’t turn up by the end of August, had found an admirable fellow for sailing master – a stiff man, which I regret, but in all other respects a treasure. Long John Silver unearthed a very competent man for a mate, a man named Arrow. I have a boatswain who pipes, Livesey; so things shall go man-o’-war fashion on board the good ship „Hispaniola“.
I forgot to tell you that Silver is a man of substance. I know of my own knowledge that he has a banker’s account, which has never been overdrawn. He leaves his wife to manage the inn; and as she is a woman of colour, a pair of old bachelors like you and I may be excused for guessing that it is the wife, quite as much as the health, that sends him back to roving.
J. T.
P.P.S. – Hawkins may stay one night with his mother.
J. T».
You can fancy the excitement into which that letter put me. I was half beside myself with glee; and if ever I despised a man, it was old Tom Redruth, who could do nothing but grumble and lament. Any of the under-gamekeepers would gladly have changed places with him; but such was not the squire’s pleasure, and the squire’s pleasure was like law among them all. Nobody but old Redruth would have dared so much as even to grumble.
The next morning he and I set out on foot for the «Admiral Benbow», and there I found my mother in good health and spirits. The captain, who had so long been a cause of so much discomfort, was gone where the wicked cease from troubling. The squire had had everything repaired, and the public rooms and the sign repainted, and had added some furniture – above all a beautiful armchair for mother in the bar. He had found her a boy as an apprentice also so that she should not want help while I was gone.
It was on seeing that boy that I understood, for the first time, my situation. I had thought up to that moment of the adventures before me, not at all of the home that I was leaving; and now, at sight of this clumsy stranger, who was to stay here in my place beside my mother, I had my first attack of tears. I am afraid I led that boy a dog’s life, for as he was new to the work, I had a hundred opportunities of setting him right and putting him down, and I was not slow to profit by them.
The night passed, and 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 had lived since I was born, and the dear old «Admiral Benbow» – since he was repainted, no longer quite so dear. One of my last thoughts was of the captain, who had so often strode along the beach with his cocked hat, his sabre-cut cheek, and his old brass telescope. Next moment we had turned the corner and my home was out of sight.
The mail picked us up about dusk at the «Royal George» on the heath. I was wedged in between Redruth and a stout old gentleman, and in spite of the swift motion and the cold night air, I must have dozed a great deal from the very first, and then slept like a log up hill and down dale through stage after stage, for when I was awakened at last it was by a punch in the ribs, and I opened my eyes to find that we were standing still before a large building in a city street and that the day had already broken a long time.
«Where are we?» I asked.
«Bristol», said Tom. «Get down».
Mr. Trelawney had taken up his residence at an inn far down the docks to superintend the work upon the schooner. Thither we had now to walk, and our way, to my great delight, lay along the quays and beside the great multitude of ships of all sizes and rigs and nations. In one, sailors were singing at their work, in another there were men aloft, high over my head, hanging to threads that seemed no thicker than a spider’s. Though I had lived by the shore all my life, I seemed never to have been near the sea till then. The smell of tar and salt was something new. I saw the most wonderful figureheads, that had all been far over the ocean. I saw, besides, many old sailors, with rings in their ears, and whiskers curled in ringlets, and tarry pigtails, and their swaggering, clumsy sea-walk; and if I had seen as many kings or archbishops I could not have been more delighted.
And I was going to sea myself, to sea in a schooner, with a piping boatswain and pig-tailed singing seamen, to sea, bound for an unknown island, 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 and a capital imitation of a sailor’s walk.
«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!» says he. «We sail tomorrow!»
7
Я iду до Бристоля
Значно бiльше часу минуло, нiж гадав сквайр, поки ми були готовi вийти в море. Не здiйснилися й iншi нашi плани, навiть намiр доктора Лiвсi бути зi мною: йому довелося поiхати до Лондона, аби знайти того, хто замiнив би його на час вiдсутностi. Сквайр клопотав у Бристолi. А я жив у його садибi пiд охороною старого егеря Редрета майже як в’язень, весь сповнений мрiй про море, про дивнi острови й пригоди. Багато годин просидiв я над картою i вивчив ii напам’ять. Сидячи бiля вогню в кiмнатi домоурядника, я в мрiях своiх пiдпливав до острова з рiзних бокiв. Дослiджував кожен вершок його поверхнi, у тисячний раз видирався нагору, що ii пiрати назвали Пiдзорною Трубою, i з вершини ii милувався чудовими й мiнливими краевидами. Інодi в моiй уявi острiв аж кишiв дикунами, i ми змушенi були вiд них захищатись. Інодi його заселяли небезпечнi хижi звiрi, якi ганялися за нами. Але при всiй моiй фантазii я не мiг передбачити тих дивних i трагiчних подiй, що сталися з нами там насправдi.
Так минали тижнi, аж поки одного чудового дня надiйшов лист, адресований докторовi Лiвсi, з такою припискою:
«Якщо лiкар вiдсутнiй, лист мають вiдкрити Том Редрет або молодий Гокiнс».
Пiдкоряючись цьому наказовi, ми прочитали (або, точнiше, я прочитав, бо егер так-сяк мiг читати тiльки друковане) такi важливi новини:
«Готель „Старий якiр“, Бристоль
1 березня 17… року.
Дорогий Лiвсi!
Не знаючи, чи ви зараз у моiй садибi, чи ще в Лондонi, я пишу одночасно на обидвi адреси.
Судно придбано й споряджено. Воно стоiть на якорi, готове до вiдплиття. Ви нiколи й не мрiяли про кращу шхуну – дитина може нею керувати. Мiсткiсть – двiстi тонн. Назва – „Еспаньйола“.
Я дiстав ii з допомогою мого давнього приятеля Блендлi, який виявився чудовим дiлком. Цей прекрасний чоловiк працював для мене достоту мов каторжний. Та що казати, кожен у Бристолi хотiв допомогти менi, варто було тiльки натякнути про мету нашого плавання, тобто про нашi скарби…»
– Редрет, – сказав я, перериваючи читання, – докторовi Лiвсi це не сподобаеться. Сквайр таки роздзвонив про все.
– А хто важливiший, сквайр чи твiй лiкар? – пробурмотiв егер. – Чого б це йому мовчати? Щоб догодити докторовi Лiвсi, чи що?
Я не став з ним сперечатися i читав далi:
«Блендлi сам вiдшукав „Еспаньйолу“ i, завдяки своiй спритностi, купив ii за смiховинно малу цiну. Правда, е в Бристолi людцi, якi дуже не люблять Блендлi. Вони навiть базiкають, нiби цей чесний чоловiк все робить тiльки за грошi, нiби „Еспаньйола“ належала йому i вiн продав менi ii втридорога, – безсоромний наклеп! Нiхто з них не наважуеться, проте, заперечувати добру якiсть судна.
Отже, досi не було нiяких затримок. Щоправда, робiтники спочатку працювали мляво, але потiм справа пiшла краще. Багато довелося клопотатись, щоб пiдiбрати команду.
Я вирiшив найняти чоловiк двадцять – на випадок нападу тубiльцiв, пiратiв або клятих французiв. Я вже просто з сил вибився, а знайшов тiльки пiвтузеня чоловiк, аж от щасливий випадок послав саме ту людину, яка менi була потрiбна.
Я стояв на набережнiй, коли зовсiм випадково розбалакався з ним. Виявилося, що вiн старий моряк, тримае корчму, знае всiх морякiв у Бристолi. Втратив здоров’я на березi й хоче найнятися хоч би кухарем на яке-небудь судно, щоб знову пiти в море. Того ранку, за його словами, вiн прийшов у порт тiльки для того, щоб подихати солоним морським повiтрям.
Це мене дуже зворушило (вас це теж неодмiнно б зворушило). З жалю я запропонував йому мiсце корабельного кухаря. Звуть його Довгим Джоном Сiльвером. У нього немае однiеi ноги. Але це, на мою думку, тiльки добре рекомендуе його, бо ногу свою вiн утратив, служачи батькiвщинi пiд начальством безсмертного Гока. Вiн не одержуе пенсii, Лiвсi. Подумайте тiльки, в який ганебний вiк ми живемо!
Так от, сер, я гадав, що знайшов тiльки кухаря, а виявилось, що вiдкрив цiлий екiпаж. Сiльвер i я, ми за кiлька днiв пiдiбрали команду справжнiх випробуваних просолених морякiв – не дуже, мабуть, привабливих на вигляд, але, судячи з iхнiх облич, вiдчайдухiв. Запевняю, що з таким екiпажем ми можемо пiти в бiй хоч би й проти фрегата.
Довгий Джон навiть порадив менi позбутися двох iз шести чи семи чоловiк, що я iх найняв ранiше. Вiн за якусь хвилину довiв менi, що вони прiсноводнi швабри, з якими не можна зв’язуватись, коли йдеш у небезпечне плавання.
Почуваю себе чудово: iм наче бик, сплю мов колода. І все-таки нетерпляче жду тiеi митi, коли залопотять нашi вiтрила. Гей, швидше б у море! До дiдька скарби! Море, а не скарби, паморочить менi голову! Отже, Лiвсi, мчiть сюди. Не втрачайте нi години, якщо ви поважаете мене.
Вiдпустiть молодого Гокiнса пiд охороною Редрета попрощатися з матiр’ю, а потiм нехай обидва повним ходом поспiшають до Бристоля.
Джон Трiлонi.
Post scriptum. Забув вам сказати, що Блендлi, який обiцяв надiслати нам на допомогу ще одне судно, якщо ми не повернемося до кiнця серпня, знайшов нам чудового капiтана. Цей капiтан чудова людина, але страшенно впертий. Довгий Джон Сiльвер викопав нам дуже тямущого штурмана, на iм’я Ерроу. А я, Лiвсi, вже маю на оцi боцмана, який грае на рiжку. Отже, на борту нашоi доброi „Еспаньйоли“ все буде, як на вiйськовому кораблi.
Забув написати вам, що Сiльвер – людина, яка мае своi кошти. Я знаю, що в нього е поточний рахунок у банку. Хазяйнувати в корчмi вiн залишае дружину. Вона не належить до бiлоi раси, i в таких запеклих холостякiв, як ми з вами, мимоволi майне думка, що не тiльки турботи про власне здоров’я, а також i жiнка женуть його знову в море.
Дж. Т.
P. P. S. Гокiнс може залишитися на нiч у своеi матерi.
Дж. Т.».
Можете уявити, як схвилював мене цей лист. Я страшенно був радий. І якщо я будь-коли зневажав когось, – то це був старий Том Редрет, який тiльки буркотiв i скаржився. Будь-хто з молодших егерiв радо погодився б iхати замiсть нього. Але не було на те волi сквайра, а воля сквайра – закон для його слуг. Нiхто, крiм старого Редрета, не наважився б навiть i буркнути.
Наступного ранку ми з ним пiшки вирушили до «Адмiрала Бенбоу», i там я побачив свою матiр при доброму здоров’i i у доброму настроi. Зi смертю капiтана закiнчилися всi неприемностi, що iх вiн нам завдав. Сквайр на власнi кошти наказав полагодити все поламане в корчмi, наново пофарбувати стiни й вивiску, ще й додав деякi меблi. За прилавком тепер стояло чудове крiсло для матерi. Вiн знайшов iй також хлопчика на допомогу на час моеi вiдсутностi.
Тiльки побачивши цього хлопчика, я вперше зрозумiв, на що йду. До цiеi хвилини я думав тiльки про пригоди, якi на мене чекають, але зовсiм забув про дiм, який покидаю. І тепер, побачивши цього незграбного чужого хлопчика, що мав лишитися тут, на моему мiсцi, бiля моеi матерi, я вперше заплакав. Боюсь, що я безсовiсно мучив його. Робота для нього була зовсiм новою, i я мав сотнi приводiв позловтiшатися з нього, коли вiн помилявся. Я не пропустив жодного з цих приводiв.
Нiч минула, i наступного дня, пообiдавши, ми з Редретом знову вийшли на дорогу. Я попрощався з матiр’ю, з бухтою, бiля якоi народився, з любим старим «Адмiралом Бенбоу». Хоча пофарбований, вiн уже не здавався менi таким дорогим. Одна з моiх останнiх думок була про капiтана, який часто блукав по цьому березi в своему трикутному капелюсi, про його рубець на щоцi, про стару мiдну пiдзорну трубу. Та от ми завернули за рiг, i мiй дiм зник з очей.
Уже смеркало, коли ми сiли в поштовий дилiжанс бiля «Готелю короля Георга». Мене затиснули мiж Редретом i якимсь огрядним старим джентльменом. Незважаючи на трясучку й холодне нiчне повiтря, я дуже скоро закуняв, а потiм заснув як убитий i проспав усi станцii. Мене розбудив удар у спину. Я розплющив очi й побачив, що дилiжанс зупинився перед великим будинком на мiськiй вулицi i що вже давно розвиднiлося.
– Де ми? – спитав я.
– У Бристолi, – вiдповiв Том. – Виходьте.
Мiстер Трiлонi оселився в готелi бiля самих докiв, щоб наглядати за роботами на шхунi. Туди нам i треба було йти. Шлях, на мою велику радiсть, пролягав уздовж набережноi повз кораблi всiх видiв, оснасток i краiн. На одному суднi працювали й спiвали, на другому матроси висiли в повiтрi просто над моею головою в снастях, що здавалися тонкими, наче павутиння. Хоч я й прожив на березi моря все свое життя, але зараз менi здавалося, що бачу його вперше. Новим був для мене запах дьогтю й солi. Я бачив найдивовижнiшi фiгури на носах кораблiв, що побували далеко за океаном. Бачив багато старих морякiв iз сережками у вухах i закрученими бакенбардами, з просмоленими косицями. Бачив, як погойдувалися вони, йдучи своею незграбною моряцькою ходою.
І сам я теж вирушаю в море! В море на шхунi з боцманом, що грае на рiжку, з моряками, що носять косички i спiвають своiх пiсень! Вирушаю в море, до таемничого острова, шукати закопанi в землю скарби!
Я все ще був заглиблений у цi чудовi мрii, коли ми раптом опинилися перед великим готелем i зустрiли сквайра Трiлонi. Вiн був одягнений, як морський офiцер, в добротну синю форму. Всмiхаючись, iшов вiн нам назустрiч, щосили наслiдуючи моряцьку ходу.
– Ось i ви! – вигукнув вiн. – А доктор ще вчора приiхав з Лондона. Браво! Тепер вся корабельна команда у зборi.
– О сер! – скрикнув я. – Коли ми вiдпливаемо?
– Вiдпливаемо? – перепитав вiн. – Завтра!
8
At the Sign of the Spy-glass
When I had done breakfasting the squire gave me a note addressed to John Silver, at the sign of the Spy-glass, and told me I should easily find the place by following the line of the docks and keeping a bright lookout for a little tavern with a large brass telescope for sign. I set off, overjoyed at this opportunity to see some more of the ships and seamen, and picked my way among a great crowd of people and carts and bales, for the dock was now at its busiest, until I found the tavern in question.
It was a bright enough little place of entertainment. The sign was newly painted; the windows had neat red curtains; the floor was cleanly sanded. There was a street on each side and an open door on both, which made the large, low room pretty clear to see in, in spite of clouds of tobacco smoke.
The customers were mostly seafaring men, and they talked so loudly that I hung at the door, almost afraid to enter. As I was waiting, a man came out of a side room, and at a glance 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, which he managed with wonderful dexterity, hopping about upon it like a bird. He was very tall and strong, with a face as big as a ham – plain and pale, but intelligent and smiling. Indeed, he seemed in the most cheerful spirits, whistling as he moved about among the tables, with a merry word or a slap on the shoulder for the more favoured of his guests.
Now, to tell you the truth, from the very first mention of Long John in squire Trelawney’s letter I had taken a fear in my mind that he might prove to be the very one-legged sailor whom I had watched for so long at the old «Benbow». But one look at the man before me was enough. I had seen the captain, and Black Dog, and the blind man, Pew, and I thought I knew what a buccaneer was like – a very different creature, according to me, from this clean and pleasant-tempered landlord.
I plucked up courage at once, crossed the threshold, and walked right up to the man where he stood, propped on his crutch, talking to a customer.
«Mr. Silver, sir?» I asked, holding out the note.
«Yes, my lad», said he; «such is my name, to be sure. And who may you be?» And then as he saw the squire’s letter, he seemed to me to give something almost like a start.
«Oh!» said he, quite loud, and offering his hand. «I see. You are our new cabin-boy; pleased I am to see you». And he took my hand in his large firm grasp.
Just then one of the customers at the far side rose suddenly and made for the door. It was close by him, and he was out in the street in a moment. But his hurry had attracted my notice, and I recognized him at glance. It was the tallow-faced man, wanting two fingers, who had come first to the «Admiral Benbow».
«Oh», I cried, «stop him! It’s Black Dog!»
«I don’t care two coppers 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.
«If he were Admiral Hawke he shall pay his score», cried Silver; and then, relinquishing my hand, «Who did you say he was?» he asked. «Black what?»
«Dog, sir», said I. «Has Mr. Trelawney not told you of the buccaneers? He was one of them».
«So?» cried Silver. «In my house! Ben, run and help Harry. One of those swabs, was he? Was that you drinking with him, Morgan? Step up here».
The man whom he called Morgan – an old, grey-haired, mahogany-faced sailor – came forward pretty sheepishly, rolling his quid.
«Now, Morgan», said Long John very sternly, «you never clapped your eyes on that Black – Black Dog before, did you, now?»
«Not I, sir», said Morgan with a salute.
«You didn’t know his name, did you?»
«No, sir».
«By the powers, Tom Morgan, it’s as good for you!» exclaimed the landlord. «If you had been mixed up with the like of that, you would never have put another foot in my house, you may lay to that. And what was he saying to you?»
«I don’t rightly know, sir», answered Morgan.
