`Captain Smollett, sir, axing to speak with you,' said he. `I am always at the captain's order. Show him in,' said the squire.
The captain, who was close behind his messenger, entered at once, and shut the door behind him.
`Well, Captain Smollett, what have you to say? All well, I hope; all shipshape and seaworthy?'
`Well, sir,' said the captain, `better speak plain, I believe, even at the risk of offence. I don't like this cruise; I don't like the men; and I don't like my officer. That's short and sweet.'
`Perhaps, sir, you don't like the ship?' inquired the squire, very angry, as I could see.
`I can't speak as to that, sir, not having seen her tried,' said the captain. `She seems a clever craft; more I can't say.'
`Possibly, sir, you may not like your employer, either?' says the squire.
But here Dr Livesey cut in.
`Stay a bit,' said he, `stay a bit. No use of such questions as that but to produce ill-feeling. The captain has said too much or he has said too little, and I'm bound to say that I require an explanation of his words. You don't, you say, like this cruise. Now, why?'
`I was engaged, sir, on what we call scaled orders, to sail this ship for that gentleman where he should bid me,' said the captain. `So far so good. But now I find that every man before the mast knows more than I do. I don't call that far now, do you?'
`No,' said Dr Livesey, `I don't.'
`Next,' said the captain, `I learn we are going after treasure - hear it from my own hands, mind you. Now, treasure ticklish work; I don't like treasure voyages on any account; and I don't like them, above all, when they are secret, and when (begging your pardon, Mr Trelawney) the secret has been told to the parrot.'
`Silver's parrot?' asked the squire.
`It's a way of speaking,' said the captain. `Blabbed, I mean. It's my belief neither of you gentlemen know what you are about; but I'll tell you my way of it - life or death, and a close run.'
`That is all clear, and, I daresay, true enough,' replied Livesey. `We take the risk; but we are not so ignorant as you believe us. Next, you say you don't like the crew. Are they not good seamen?'
`I don't like them, sir,' returned Captain Smollett. `And I think I should have had the choosing of my own hands, you go to that.'
`Perhaps you should,' replied the doctor. `My friend should, perhaps, have taken you along with him; but the slight, if there be one, was unintentional. And you don't like Mr Arrow?'
`I don't, sir. I believe he's a good seaman; but he's too free with the crew to be a good officer. A mate should keep himself to himself - shouldn't drink with the men before the mast!'
`Do you mean he drinks?' cried the squire.
`No, sir,' replied the captain; `only that he's too familiar.'
`Well, now, and the short and long of it, captain?' asked the doctor. `Tell us what you want.'
`Well, gentlemen, are you determined to go on this cruise?'
`Like iron,' answered the squire.
`Very good,' said the captain. `Then, as you've heard me very patiently, saying things that I could not prove, hear me a few words more. They are putting the powder and the arms in the fore hold. Now, you have a good place under the cabin; why not put them there? - first point. Then you are bringing four of your own people with you, and they tell me some of them are to be berthed forward. Why not give them the berths here beside the cabin? - second point.'
`Any more?' asked Mr Trelawney.
`One more,' said the captain. `There's been too much blabbing already.'
`Far too much,' agreed the doctor.
`I'll tell you what I've heard myself,' continued Captain Smollett: `that you have a map of an island; that there's crosses on the map to show where treasure is; and that the island lies--' And then he named the latitude and longitude exactly.
`I never told that,' cried the squire, `to a soul!'
`The hands know it, sir,' returned the captain.
`Livesey, that must have been you or Hawkins,' cried the squire.
`It doesn't much matter who it was,' replied the doctor. And I could see that neither he nor the captain paid much regard to Mr Trelawney's protestations. Neither did I, to be sure, he was so loose a talker; yet in this case I believe he was really right, and that nobody had told the situation of the island.
`Well, gentlemen,' continued the captain, `I don't know who has this map; but I make it a point, it shall be kept secret even from me and Mr Arrow. Otherwise I would ask you to let me resign.'
`I see,' said the doctor. `You wish us to keep this matter dark, and to make a garrison of the stern part of the ship, manned with my friend's own people, and provided with all the arms and powder on board. In other words, you fear a mutiny.'
`Sir,' said Captain Smollett, `with no intention to take offence, I deny your right to put words into my mouth. No captain, sir, would be justified in going to sea at all if he had ground enough to say that. As for Mr Arrow, I believe hi thoroughly honest; some of the men are the same; all may be for what I know. But I am responsible for the ship's safety and the life of every man Jack aboard of her. I see thins going, as I think, not quite right. And I ask you to take certain precautions, or let me resign my berth. And that's all.'
`Captain Smollett,' began the doctor, with a smile, `did ever you hear the fable of the mountain and the mouse? You excuse me, I daresay, but you remind me of that fable. When you came in here I'll stake my wig you meant more than this.'
`Doctor,' said the captain, `you are smart. When I can in here I meant to get discharged. I had no thought that Mr Trelawney would hear a word.'
`No more I would,' cried the squire. `Had Livesey not been here I should have seen you to the deuce. As it is, I have hear you. I will do as you desire; but I think the worse of you.'
`That's as you please, sir,' said the captain. `You'll find I do my duty.'
And with that he took his leave.
`Trelawney,' said the doctor, `contrary to all my notions, I believe you have managed to get two honest men on board with you - that man and John Silver.'
`Silver, if you like,' cried the squire; `but as for the intolerable humbug, I declare I think his conduct unmanly, unsailorly, and downright un - English.'
`Well,' says the doctor, `we shall see.'
When we came on deck, the men had begun already to take out the arms and powder, you-ho-ing at their work, while the captain and Mr Arrow stood by superintending.
The new arrangement was quite to my liking. The whole schooner had been overhauled; six berths had been mad astern, out of what had been the after-part of the main hold and this set of cabins was only joined to the galley and forecastle by a sparred passage on the port side. It had been originally meant that the captain, Mr Arrow, Hunter, Joyce the doctor, and the squire, were to occupy these six berths Now, Redruth and I were to get two of them, and Mr Arrow and the captain were to sleep on deck in the companion, which had been enlarged on each side till you might almost have called it a round-house. Very low it was still, of course; but there was room to swing two hammocks, and even the mate seemed pleased with the arrangement. Even he, perhaps, had been doubtful as to the crew, but that is only guess; for, as you shall hear, we had not long the benefit of his opinion.
We were all hard at work, changing the powder and the berths, when the last man or two, and Long John along with them, came off in a shore-boat.
The cook came up the side like a monkey for cleverness, and, as soon as he saw what was doing, `So ho, mates!' says he, `what's this?'
`We're a-changing of the powder, Jack,' answers one.
`Why, by the powers,' cried Long John, `if we do, we'll miss the morning tide!'
`My orders!' said the captain shortly. `You may go below, my man. Hands will want supper.'
`Ay, ay, sir,' answered the cook; and, touching his forelock, he disappeared at once in the direction of his galley.
`That's a good man, captain,' said the doctor.
`Very likely sir,' replied Captain Smollett. `Easy with that, men - easy,' he ran on, to the fellows who were shifting the powder; and then suddenly observing me examining the swivel we carried amidships, a long brass nine - `Here, you ship's boy,' he cried, `out o' that! Off with you to the cook and get some work.'
And then as I was hurrying off I heard him say, quite loudly, to the doctor:--
`I'll have no favourites on my ship.' I assure you I was quite of the squire's way of thinking, and hated the captain deeply.
后者是个目光锐利的人，似乎与船上的每个人都有气，很快他就向我们说明了原因，因为我们刚刚下到舱内，一个水手便跟进来。
“阁下，斯莫列特船长要求同您谈话。”他说道。
“我随时听从船长的命令。让他进来。”乡绅说道。
船长紧随在他的听差的后面，立刻就走进来，把门关在了身后。
“好吧，斯莫列特船长，你想说什么？我希望一切顺利，一切准备得井井有条，能经得起风浪。”
“啊，阁下，”船长说道，“我相信开门见山会好一点，即使冒触犯您的危险。我不喜欢这次航行；我不喜欢这些水手；而且我也不喜欢我的同僚。简明扼要，就这些。”
“也许，先生，你还不喜欢这艘船？”乡绅追问道，就像我看出的那样，勃然大怒。
“阁下，我不能那样说，因为她还没有试航，”船长说道。“她看上去是艘灵巧的船；更多的我就不能讲了。”
“可能，先生，你也不喜欢你的雇主吧？”乡绅说道。
但是这会儿利弗西医生插了进来。
“停一下，”他说，“停一下。这样的问题除了伤害感情外毫无用途。船长是说得太多了，或者他说得还远不够，而我必须要求他解释一下他的话。你说你不喜欢这次航行，那，是为什么呢？”
“先生，我是被我们称为密封的命令任命的，要将这艘船开到这位先生命令我开到的地方，”船长说，“到目前为止，一切顺利。但是现在我发现桅杆前的每个人知道的都比我多。我不能说这是好事，你们认为呢？”
“是这样，”利弗西医生说，“我也不认为这是好事。”
“其次，”船长说道，“我知道我们是要出去寻宝——提醒你们，这是从我的手下人那里听到的。然而，寻宝是项小心翼翼的工作；我决不喜欢寻宝的航行；我不喜欢它们，尤其当它们还是秘密的时候，而（请你原谅，特里罗尼先生）这个秘密却告诉给了鹦鹉。”
“西尔弗的鹦鹉？”乡绅问道。
“这是个说法，”船长说道，“我指的是泄密。我相信你们这些先生们自己也不知道在干些什么，但我告诉你们，我是怎么看的——不是活着就是送命，生死差之毫厘。”“那是明摆着的，而且我敢说，千真万确，”利弗西医生答道。“我们是要冒这个险，但是我们没像你认为的那么大意。其次，你说你不喜欢这些水手。难道他们不是好水手吗？”
“我不喜欢他们，先生，”斯莫列特船长回答道，“既然你提及此事，我认为我本来有权自己挑选手下人的。”
“可能如此，”医生答道，“也许我的朋友本应当带上你的，但是，这如果算是个疏忽的话，决不是故意的。你不喜欢埃罗先生吗？”
“我不这样认为，先生。我相信他是个好水手，但是他和船员们太随便了，当不了个好长官。一个大副必须树立大副的形象——不能在桅杆前和手下人一起酗酒！”
“你说他酗酒？”乡绅叫道。
“不，阁下，”船长答道，“只是他太不拘礼了。”
“好啦，总之就这么回事吧，船长？”医生问道。“告诉我们你想怎样。”
“啊，先生们，你们决定进行此次航行？”
“铁了心了。”乡绅答道。
“很好，”船长说，“既然你们已经如此耐心地听我说了这么些无法证实的事，那么不妨再听我说几句。他们把火药和武器放到了前舱，而你们在特舱下面有个好地方，为什么不把它们放在那里？——此其一。还有，你们带了四个你们自己的人，而他们告诉我，这四人中有的被安置到了前舱。为什么不把他们的铺位安置到特舱这边来？——此其二。”
“还有要说的吗？”特里罗尼问道。
“还有一点，”船长说道，“事情已经泄露得太多了。”
“实在是太多了。”医生附和道。
“我告诉你们我本人都听到了些什么，”斯莫列特船长继续说道，“你们有一张小岛的地图，在地图上有十字记号标明宝藏的位置，而那个小岛位于——”接着，他准确地报出了纬度和经度。
“我从未跟人说过那个，”乡绅叫道，“连个鬼也没有！”
“手下人知道那个，阁下。”船长答道。
“利弗西，那肯定就是你或是霍金斯的事了。”乡绅叫道。
“是谁关系不大。”医生答道。我看得出，医生和船长都不大在意特里罗尼先生的抗议，我也如此，的确，他的口风太松了；然而在这种情况下，我相信他说的是实话，没有人讲过那个岛的位置。
“好啦，先生们，”船长继续说道，“我不知道谁有这张地图，但是我指出一点，它对我和埃罗先生来说必须保密。不然的话，我请求你们允许我辞职。”
“我明白，”医生说，“你希望我们暗中进行，并且在船的尾部用我朋友自己的人建立一支警备力量，占据船上的武器和火药。换言之，你怕发生一场哗变。”
“阁下，”斯莫列特船长说道，“我无意冒犯谁，因此拒绝你把这些话安到我身上。阁下，若是有哪个船长在掌握了确凿的证据的情况下，讲了那番话，再去出海，那可太离谱了。至于埃罗先生，我相信他完全是个忠实的人，其他人中的一些也是；也许所有的人都是如此。但是，我要对这艘船的安全和船上每个人的生命负责。我看到事情发展得，在我看来，不很对头。因此，我要求你们采取一定的预防措施，否则准我辞职。就这些。”
“斯莫列特船长，”医生开始微笑着说道，“你是否曾经听过大山和小耗子的寓言①？我敢说，你得原谅我，但是你使我想起了那个寓言。当你一走进这里，我敢拿我的假发打赌，你想说的不只这些。” ①伊索寓言中的一则，大山震动，结果跑出来的是一只小耗子。
“医生，”船长说，“你很聪明。当我走进来的时候，我是准备被解雇的。我没指望特里罗尼先生会听进一个字。”
“多一个字我也不想听了，”乡绅嚷道。“要不是利弗西医生在这里，我早就让你见鬼去了。既已如此，我就听你的。我会按照你的意思行事，但我并不真的信服你。”
“悉听尊便，阁下，”船长说道，“你会发现我是尽职尽责的。”
说完他就离去了。
“特里罗尼，”医生说道，“与我的估计完全相反，我相信你已设法弄到了两个忠实的人同你一道出海——这个人和约翰·西尔弗。”
“西尔弗，要是你愿意，”乡绅嚷道，“但是至于那个让人无法忍受的空话家，我敢断言，我认为他的行为是没有大丈夫气概的，没有水手气概的，并且彻头彻尾不像个英国人。”
“好啦，”医生说，“我们拭目以待。”
当我们来到甲板上时，人们已经开始往外搬武器和火药了，干活时一边还吆喝着，而船长和埃罗先生则站在一旁指挥。
新的安排很合我意。整个帆船都翻腾起来，有六个原先在主舱房后部的铺位被移到了船尾；而这套舱房只通过舷窗旁的一条木板做的两道与厨房和前甲板相连。起初安排的是船长、埃罗先生、亨特、乔埃斯、医生和乡绅，占用这六个铺位。现在，我和雷卓斯加了起来，埃罗先生和船长就睡在舱梯旁的甲板上。那块地方已经从两侧加宽了，你几乎可以把它叫做一个后甲板舱。当然它还是很低矮，不过足够挂两个吊床了，看来大副对这种安排也十分的满意。即使是他，可能对船员们也有所怀疑，但这只是一种猜测；因为，就像你将要听到的，不久我们对他的看法便得到了反馈。
当高个子约翰和最后的一两个人划着岸上的小划子过来时，我们全都在努力地工作着，搬运火药以及挪动铺位。
厨子像猴子般灵巧地越过了船舷，一看到正在进行的工作便开口了，“怎么，伙计们！这是做什么？”
“我们正在搬运火药，杰克。”一个答道。
“噢，老天，”高个子约翰嚷道，“要是我们这么干下去，会错过早潮的！”
“我的命令！”船长简短地说道，“你可以到下面去了，船员们要吃晚饭了。”
“呃，呃，阁下。”厨子应着，摸了摸额发，立刻就消失在厨房那头了。
“那是个好人，船长。”医生说道。
“很像是那么回事，先生，”斯莫列特船长答道。“别急，伙计们——慢慢来，”他不住地向正在抬火药的弟兄们说着，接着，他猛然注意到我正在察看我们搬到船中部来的那座旋转炮——一支黄铜的长“雪茄”。“过来，你，侍应生，”他叫道，“离那儿远点！到厨子那里找些活干。”
接下来，当我跑开的时候，我听见他很大声地对医生说：
“我的船上不允许有受宠的人。”
我向你保证，我和乡绅想法完全一致，恨透了那个船长。