Thirty-four

AND LAST

The next morning we fell early to work, for the moving of this great mass of gold nearly a mile by land to the beach, and three miles by boat to the Hispaniola, was a huge task for so small a number of workmen. The three fellows still wandering about upon the island did not greatly trouble us; a single watcher on the shoulder of the hill was enough to guard against any sudden attack.

Gray and Ben Gunn came and went with the boat, while the rest carried the treasure to the beach. As I was not much use at carrying, I was kept busy all day in the cave, packing the money into bread-bags.

It was a strange collection of money—English, French, Portuguese—and on the pieces were pictures of all the Kings of Europe for the last hundred years. There were strange pieces from the East marked with peculiar letters like bits of string or fishing-nets, round pieces, square pieces, and pieces with holes through them as if to wear them round your neck. Every kind of money in the world must, I think, have found a place. And, as for number, they were like autumn leaves, so that my back was weary of bending and my fingers with picking them up.

Day after day this work went on. At last—I think it was on the third night—the doctor and I were walking on the shoulder of the hill, when, from out of the thick darkness below, the wind brought us a noise of singing. Then there was silence.

"Heaven forgive them," said the doctor; "'tis the pirates!"

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

We all talked together in the evening as to what should be done with them, and it was decided that we must leave them on the island. We left a good stock of powder and shot and food and clothes.

After seeing to this we got on board and set sail.

We were so short of men that everyone on board had to help, only the captain lying on a bed giving his orders. We set the ship for the nearest port in South America, for we could not risk the voyage home without more men.

It was sundown when we sailed into the harbour. The doctor and Mr. Trelawney took me on shore with them. We met the captain of an English war-ship and went on board his ship. Day was breaking when we came back to the Hispaniola.

We found Ben Gunn on board, alone. Silver had gone.

But this was not all. The sea-cook had not gone empty-handed. He had cut through into the place where the treasure lay, and had removed one of the sacks of money, worth, perhaps, three or four hundred pounds, to help him on his further wanderings.

I think we were all pleased to be free of him at the price.

Well, to make a long story short, we got some men on board, and made a good voyage home. Five men only of those who had sailed returned with her. "Drink and the devil had done for the rest," although, to be sure, we were not quite in so bad a case 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 a good share of the treasure, and used it wisely or foolishly, according to our natures. Captain Smollett is now retired from the sea. Gray is now captain and part-owner of a fine ship. As for Ben Gunn, he got a thousand pounds, which he spent or lost in three weeks, or, to be more exact, in nineteen days, for he was back begging on the twentieth. Then Mr. Trelawney made him a gatekeeper—just as he had feared on the island—he is also a great singer in the village church.

Of Long John Silver we have heard no more.

The bar silver and the arms still lie, for all that I know, where Flint hid them; and certainly they shall lie there for me. Nothing would bring me back again to that cursed island; and the worst dreams that ever I have are when I hear the waves beating upon its coasts, or leap up in bed, with the sharp voice of Captain Flint still ringing in my ears: "Pieces of eight! Pieces of eight!"