Treasure Island by Robert Stevenson

原文

Chapter 5: Ben Gunn

The next morning we arrived at the island.

I remembered Billy Bones's map.

'I know there's a house on the island,' I thought. 'But I can't see it from here.'

The sailors wanted to leave the ship, but Captain Smollett said, 'Tell the men they can go to the island this afternoon.'

'What are we going to do?' asked Mr. Trelawney.

We must think quickly.'

Three of the men on the ship, Hunter, Joyce and Redruth, were Mr. Trelawney's men.

He told them about Long John Silver and the pirates and he gave them some guns.

Then he spoke to the other men, the pirates.

'Men,' he said,'it's a hot day and we're all tired. Take a boat and go to the island. You can come back this evening.'

The pirates were happier.

Six of them stayed on the Hispaniola and thirteen got into the small boats to go to the island.

I quietly got into one of the boats, too.

We arrived on the beach and I ran away from the pirates.

Long John Silver saw me.

'Jim! Jim!' he said.'Come here!'

But I did not listen to him. I ran into the trees.

I walked about for a time, then I heard the pirates talking angrily. There was some fighting, and one man died.

'He didn't want to help them, so they killed him,' I thought, 'They're bad men.'

I ran and ran.

'How can I get back to the ship?' I thought. 'The pirates are going to kill me, too.'

I climbed the hill.

Suddenly I saw a man.

'Who's this?' I thought. 'He isn't one of our men. Nobody lives on this island.'

I began to run back to the beach, but I was tired and the man ran very quickly.

I stopped and took out my gun.

The man carefully came out of the trees.

'Who are you?' I asked.

I'm Ben Gunn,' he said. 'I live here. The pirates left me on this island three years ago. What's your name?'

'Jim,' I told him.

'Well, Jim,' he said, 'I'm a very rich man. But tell me, who came in that ship? Is it Flint's ship?'

'No, it isn't. Flint is dead,' I said. 'But some of his men are on the ship.'

'Not... not a man with one leg?'

'Silver?' I asked.

'Yes, Silver,' he said. 'Are you a friend of his?'

'No, I'm not,' I answered. And I told him everything.

'Is Mr. Trelawney a good man?' Ben asked. 'Perhaps I can help him.'

'Yes, he's very good. And I think he can help you, too.'

'Good,' said Ben Gunn.

'But can you help me now?' I asked.' I must get back to the ship.'

'I've got a little boat,' he said. 'You can use it tonight.'

Suddenly we heard the sound of guns.

'Listen! they're fighting!' I said.

We ran to the beach.

We heard more guns,then everything was quiet and a flag went up above the trees.