3 The black spot 
　  
　　Later that day, I took the captain a cool drink.  
　　‘Jim, ’he said,‘you're the only person here worth anything .You'll bring me some rum ,won't you, boy?’ 
　　‘The doctor said—’I began. 
　　He swore about the doctor.‘Look, Jim, one glass is all I ask. I'll pay you for it.’ 
　　‘The only money I want, ’I said,‘is the money you owe my father .But I'll get you one glass of rum ,no more.’ 
　　He was grateful and drank it quickly.‘Did the doctor say how long I must lie in my bed?’he asked.  
　　‘A week,’I told him.  
　　‘A week!’he cried.‘I can't do that .They'll have the black spot on me by then. They'll come for me.’ 
　　‘Who will? Black Dog?’I said.  
　　‘Yes, but there's worse than him. It's my old sea－chest they want, but I'll show them! Jim, if I get the black spot, you go to that doctor. Tell him to bring a crowd of law officers and a local judge to the inn. They can catch Flint's crew-all that are left-at the Admiral Benbow .I was Flint's first ship's officer, and I'm the only one who knows the place. He told me when he was dying. But don't call the law unless they give me the black spot, or if you see the seaman with one leg-he's worse than any of them.’ 
　　‘But what is the black spot, captain?’I asked.  
　　‘That's a message, boy. I'll tell you if they give me that. Keep your eyes open, Jim, and I'll give you half of everything I have.’He talked for a little longer then fell into a heavy sleep ,and I left him. 
　　That night, my father died. This put all other thoughts to one side and I had no time to worry about the captain. 
　　The next morning, the captain came downstairs. He didn't eat much food but he drank more rum than usual. He helped himself and we were too busy to stop him. There were visits from neighbours, and my father's burial to arrange. 
　　The day after the burial was cold and foggy .At about three o’clock in the afternoon, I was standing at the door of the inn when I saw a blind man coming along the road. He was feeling his way with a stick.  
　　‘Will any kind friend tell a poor blind man where he is?’he said.  
　　‘You're at the Admiral Benbow inn, Black Hill Cove, my good man,’I said.  
　　‘I hear a young voice,’ he said. Will you give me your hand, my kind young friend ,and take me inside?’ 
　　I held out my hand, and the terrible, soft-speaking ,eyeless man took hold of it like a dog biting a bone .He pulled me vio－lently towards him.  
　　‘Now ,boy,’he said,‘take me to the captain or I'll break your arm! ’And I had never heard a voice so cruel and cold. 
　　I was so frightened by the blind man's violence that I obeyed him without question, and took, him into the room where the sick captain was sitting. He saw the blind man and a look of fear passed across his face.  
　　‘Sit where you are, Bill,’ said the blind man.‘I can't see, but I can hear a finger move .Hold out your right hand.’ 
　　I watched him put something in the captain's hand.‘And now that's done, ’said the blind man, and he quickly went out of the inn. I heard his stick tap－tap－tapping away along the road. 
　　The captain opened his hand and looked into it.‘Ten o’clock!’he cried ,and jumped up. He put his hand round his neck, made a strange sound, and fell face down on to the floor. 
　　I ran to him, calling to my mother .But the captain was dead.  
　　　 
3 黑券 
　  
　　那天晚些时候，我送了一杯清凉饮料到老船长屋里去。 
　　“吉姆，”他说，“这里我只看得起你一个人。你给我拿一杯朗姆酒来好不好？” 
　　“大夫说——”我开始说。 
　　他立即咒骂起大夫来。“听着，吉姆，我只要一杯朗姆酒，我可以付钱。” 
　　“我想要的，”我说，“只是你欠我父亲的钱。我可以给你一杯朗姆酒，不能再多了。” 
　　他非常感激我，然后把酒一饮而尽。“大夫说我要在床上躺多久？”他问。 
　　“一个星期，”我告诉他。 
　　“一个星期！”他嚷道，“那可不行，他们会送黑券来的，他们会来找我的。” 
　　“谁，黑狗吗？”我问。 
　　“对，还有比他更坏的呢。他们想要我的水手箱，我会给他们看的。吉姆，如果我搞到那张黑券，你就去找那个大夫，叫他召集一群警官来，包括治安推事，叫他们都到客店来。这样就可以把弗林特一帮全抓起来——所有余下的人。我以前是弗林特船上的大副，只有我一个人知道那个地方。他临死前告诉我所有的事。他们给我送黑券之前，你先别去报官，除非你看见一条腿的水手——那个独脚水手是最坏的。” 
　　“黑券是什么东西，老船长？”我问。 
　　“那是一条讯息，孩子。他们送来后我会告诉你的。你要留心守望，吉姆，我以后什么都会和你平分的。”他又说了几句话就沉沉地睡去，于是我就走开了。 
　　那天晚上我父亲死了。我只好把别的事情放在一边，也没有时间想到老船长了。 
　　第二天早上，老船长下楼来。他没吃多少东西，但比平时喝了更多的朗姆酒。他自斟自饮，我们也无暇阻止他。很多邻居和朋友过来探望，我父亲的葬礼也需要安排。 
　　我父亲葬礼的第二天，天很冷，雾很浓。大约下午三点钟时，我正站在客店门口，刚好看见一个瞎子沿着大路走来，他用一根棍子在前面探路。 
　　“哪位好心的人能告诉我这儿是什么地方？”他问。 
　　“我的朋友，你在布莱克希尔湾的本葆将军客店，”我说。 
　　“我听见一个少年的声音，”他说。“好心的孩子，你能不能把手伸给我，带我到店里去？” 
　　我伸出一只手，立刻被那个说话温和的瞎子紧紧钳住，他把我粗暴地拉到他身边。 
　　“现在，孩子，”他说，“领我到老船长那儿，否则我就弄断你的胳膊。”我还从来没听见过这么冷酷、狠毒的声音。 
　　我怕得要死，只好立刻从命，带他到生病的老船长住的房间去。老船长看见了瞎子，脸上充满了恐惧。 
　　“比尔，呆在那儿别动，”瞎子说。“我看不见，但我知道你的手在动，伸出你的右手。” 
　　我看见瞎子把一样东西放在老船长手里。“现在事情了结了，”瞎子说，然后迅速走出客店。大路上留下了木棍探路的嗒嗒声。 
　　老船长收回手，仔细看自己手心。“10点钟！”他喊道，然后跳起来。他一只手卡住自己的脖子，怪叫一声，扑倒在地。 
　　我一边跑过去，一边喊我的母亲。但老船长已经死了。 
　　　    


 