Treasure Island by R. L. Stevenson (Story)

 

Treasure Island

by R. L. Stevenson

(Story) 

Young Jim Hawkins always remembered the day when the strange seaman Bill Boney came looking for lodgings at his father’s inn: “The Admiral Benbow near British, in England.” He came plodding up to the inn door where he stood for some time and looked around Black Hill Cove. Jin heard him singing snatches of an old sea song:

“Fifteen men on the dead man’s chest,

........and a battle of rum.”

Bill Bones paid three or four gold pieces as advance and stayed there when he came to know from Jim’s father that this inn was a calm and quite place with little trade, he remarked that was just the berth for an old sea man. This man who called himself a retired captain- kept watch on the coast and land road by day and led relaxed life here drinking, singing and swearing great oaths while he told horrible adventurous tales of the Spanish main. Cautious of all visiting seaman, he asked Jim Hawkins to be on the lookout for one legged sailor in particular. He was so terrible in his speech and manners that Jim’s father, who was not keeping well, never had the courage to ask him for the payment. He kept on staying without ever clinking another coin into the inn for his board and lodging.

The one-legged sailor never came to inn but another seaman a menacing figure named Black Dog did. The two pirates fought furiously in the inn. Bill Bones muttered on captain flunt had given him the sea chest. Jim and his mother were terribly scared to see all this. Captain Bill Bones chased his visitor up to the road. The Black Dog was soon out of sight. Captain Bines fell down in a fit. He was treated by Dr. Livesey who treated Jim’s father and Bones was advised to exercise moderation in drink. Jin’s father expired.

On the very day of his funeral, a deformed blind man Pew tapped his way up to the door of the inn- ‘The Admiral Benbow. He insisted on meeting Bill Bones who was so terrible afraid that when the blind man gave him The Black spot- the pirates death notice, he had a stroke and died instantly.

Jim and his mother took the keys to his sea-chest from his pocket and opened to find the money which was long overdue for his stay in their inn. As they were examining the contents, they heard the tapping of the blindman’s stick on the road outside. Jim hurriedly pocketed an oilskin pocket. He and his mother left from the back-door of the inn as a gang of men broke in to look for Captain Bones’ chest and ransacked the inn. In the meantime, the revenue officers (Revenuers) came on horseback and dispersed the gang. Blind Pew was trampled to death by the changing horses. Jim handed the packet to Dr. Livesey and Squire Trelawney. The three discovered that it contained a map locating the hidden fabled treasure of the bloody buccaneer, Captain Flint. Squire Trelawney decided to outfit a ship in which to sail to get treasure. The doctor also joined in the expedition and invited Jim to come along as a cabin boy. In Bristol naive in his negotiation Trelawney purchased a schooner, The Hispaniola and hired one Long John Silver who happened to be a former mate of Capt. flint. Silver promised to make available the crew. Jim went to Bristol and met Silver who had but one leg. He was alarmed when he saw Black Dog again in the inn operated by Silver but Silver’s smooth talk suppressed Jim’s suspicious.

The Hispaniola sailed into the sea. Captain Smollett, hired by Squire Trelawny to command the ship expressed his dislike of the crew and his first mate. Only Dr. Livesey and Trelawney servants- Hunter, Joyce and Redruth were loyal. One night Jim, overheard Silver discussing mutiny with the faithful crew commanded by Capt. Smollett Before Jim had a change to expose the plot to Dr. Livesey and Squire Trelawny, the island was sighted.

The prospects of finding the treasure on the island caused the rebellious members of the crew pay little attention Captain Smollett’s orders. Even the loyal ones were hard to manage. John silver was shrewd enough to keep his party under control. The captain allowed some members of the crew to go ashore. Landing at the island Captain Smollett decided a plan to get the mutineers off the ship. Jim also got off to spy on John Silver and the men on the island. When ashore Silver killed two of the crew who refused to join the mutineers. Jim, seeing danger to his life, ran away into the forest and happened to meet Ben Gunn who was with Captain Flint when the treasure was buried. Gunn who was a half crazed-man told Jim that he had been marooned on the island three years earlier and he had served in Captain Flints crew while Jim was ashore, Dr. Livesey went to the island the scream of one of the men Silver murdered, the returned to the Hispaniola, where it was decided that the honest men would move to the fort within the stockade of Captain Flint. Several dangerous trips in an overloaded boat completed the move. During the last trip, the mutineers a board the ship unlimbered the ship’s gun. Squire Trelawny shot one seaman from the boat. In the meantime, the gang ashore understood what was afoot and made efforts to keep Jim’s friends from occupying the stockade. The enemy repulsed, Squire Trelawny and his men took their positions in the fort. The mutineers on the Hispaniola fired shots into the stockade.

After leaving Ben Gunn, the marooned seaman, Jim made his way to the stockade. The Hispaniola now flew the Jolly Roger skill and crossbones. Carrying a flag of truce, Silver approached the stockade and offered to negotiate. Admitted by the defenders, he demanded treasure chart in exchange for the safe return of Squire Treawney and his party to Bristol England. But Captain Smottett would not concede. So, John Silver returned to his man in anger. The stockade party prepared for confrontation. A gang of pirates attacked from two sides and engaged the defenders in hand-to-hand combat. In the close fighting, the pirates fled back to the gang in the forest. The loyal party consisted of Squire Trelawny, Dr. Livesey captain Smollett and Jim.

During the lull which followed the battle, Jim sneaked off and borrowed Ben Gunn’s home-made coracle (boat). He rowed out in this boat to the anchored Hispaniola under cover of darkness with the intention of cutting it adrift thereby depriving the pirates to escape.

While trying to return to the shore, he was caught offshore by coastal currents. He noticed when there was daylight that the Hispaniola was aimlessly drifting. He jumped into it. Ben Gunn’s little boat was smashed. Jim found on the ship a wounded pirate Israel Hands. Jim took command but the wounded pirate (Israel Hands) wanted to stab Jim who climbed up the mast. Israel hands threw his knife into the mast about a foot below Jim. In the meantime, Jim loaded his pistol and shot the pirate who had thrown another knife which hurt his shoulder. Jim returned to the stockade at night, only to find himself abandoned by his friends. He was now in the hands of the pirates. When John Silver’s parrot, dress attention to the boy’s presence and the pirates captured him. Silver’s men, dissatisfied with the buccaneer’s methods of gaining the treasure, grumbled. One of them tried to kill Jim. But Silver took Jim’s side. Silvers mates gave Silver The Black Spot deposing him as their chief.

The pirate leader talked his way out of his difficulty by showing them, to Jim’s amazement and their delight, Captain Flint’s chart to silver. Following the directions of the chart, the last five pirates went to find the treasure. Silver was again re-elected as Captain with happy cries of barbecue of over approaching the hiding place, they heard a loud voice singing the pirate chantey. “Yo ho ho and a battle of run.” Also, the voice spoke the last words of Captain Flint:

The men were terrified until they recognized Ben Gunn’s voice. Then the pirates found the treasure cache opened and the treasure gone. The sight had already been excavated. When they uncovered only a broken pick and some boards, they rushed to kill Silver and Jim once and for all. At this moment, Jim’s friends with Ben Gunn Dr. Livesey, Abraham Gray appeared from the bushes and fired on the pirate. Early in his stay on the island Jim was rescued. Silver argued that he had save Jim earlier and therefore, he was accepted into the group. Ben Gunn had discovered the treasure and carried it to his cave. After Dr. Livesey had learned all this from Gunn, the stocked was abandoned and the useless chart was given to Silver. Squire Trelawney’s party moved to Ben Gunn’s safe and well provisioned quarters.

The group left Treasure Island leaving behind three buccaneers. They sailed to a West Indies port where, with the connivance of Ben Gunn, Silver escaped with a bag full of coins to join the voyage to a nearby Spanish American port. A full crew was taken on, and the schooner voyaged back to Bristol. There the treasure was divided among the survivors of the expedition. Squire Trelawny and Dr. Livesey resumed their business as usual, though they were affluent now. Captain Smollett retired from the sea on his share and lively peacefully in the country. Abraham Gray wisely decided to invest his share in building a career as an honest seaman. He succeeded admirably and become owner of a ship by the time Jim Hawkins began to write his memoirs Ben Gunn spent his money rather extravagantly and was reduced to object poverty. However, he was given a small pension and a lodge to keep by Squire Trelawney and, thus, he was settled in the countryside. Jim Hawkins was able to run the Admiral Benbow on his own, but ne battled up mysterious gloom in his heart. He saw nightmares in which he sat up in bed the sharp voice of Captain Flint still ringing in his ears.