IT was not very long after this that there occurred the first of the mysterious events that rid us at last of the captain, though not, as you will see, of his affairs. It was a bitter cold winter, with long, hard frosts and heavy gales; and it was plain from the first that my poor father was little likely to see the spring. He sank daily, and my mother and I had all the inn upon our hands; and were kept busy enough, without paying much regard to our unpleasant guest.
It was one January morning, very early - a pinching, frosty morning - the cove all grey with boar-frost, the ripple lapping softly on the stones, the sun still low and only touching the hilltops and shining far to seaward. The captain had risen earlier than usual, and set out down the beach, his cutlass swinging under the broad skirts of the old blue coat, his brass telescope under his arm, his hat tilted back upon his head. I remember his breath hanging like smoke in his wake as he strode off, and the last sound I heard of him, as he turned the big rock, was a loud snort of indignation, as though his mind was still running upon Dr Livesey.

Well, mother was upstairs with father; and I was laying the breakfast table against the captain's return, when the parlour door opened, and a man stepped in on whom I had never set my eyes before. He was a pale, tallowy creature, wanting two fingers of the left hand; and, though he wore a cutlass, he did not look much like a fighter. I had always my eye open for seafaring men, with one leg or two, and I remember this one puzzled me. He was not sailorly, and yet he had a smack of the sea about him too.

I asked him what was for his service, and he said he would take rum; but as I was going out of the room to fetch it he sat down upon a table, and motioned me to draw near. I paused where I was with my napkin in my hand.

`Come here, sonny,' says he. `Come nearer here.'

I took a step nearer.

`Is this here table for my mate, Bill?' he asked, with a kit of leer.

I told him I did not know his mate Bill; and this was for a person who stayed in our house, whom we called the captain.

`Well,' said he, `my mate Bill would be called the captain as like as not. He has a cut on one cheek, and a mighty pleasant way with him, particularly in drink, has my mate, Bill. We'll put it, for argument like, that your captain has a cut on one cheek - and we'll put it, if you like, that the cheek's the right one. Ah, well! I told you. Now, is my mate Bill in this here house?'

I told him he was out walking.

`Which way, sonny? Which way is he gone?'

And when I had pointed out the rock and told him how the captain was likely to return, and how soon, and answer a few other questions, `Ah,' said he, `this'll be as good as drink to my mate Bill.'

The expression of his face as he said these words was not at all pleasant, and I had my own reasons for thinking the the stranger was mistaken, even supposing he meant who he said. But it was no affair of mine, I thought; and, besides, it was difficult to know what to do. The stranger kept hanging about just inside the inn door, peering round the corner like a cat waiting for a mouse. Once I stepped out myself into the road, but he immediately called me back, and, as I did no obey quick enough for his fancy, a most horrible change came over his tallowy face, and he ordered me in, with an oath that made me jump. As soon as I was back again he returned to his former manner, half fawning, half sneering, patted me on the shoulder, told me I was a good boy, and he had taken quite a fancy to me. `I have a son of my own,' said he, `as like you as two blocks, and he's all the pride of my 'art. But the great thing for boys is discipline, sonny - discipline. Now if you had sailed along of Bill, you wouldn't have stood there to be spoke to twice - not you. That was never Bill's way nor the way of such as sailed with him. And here, sure enough is my mate Bill, with a spy-glass under his arm, bless his old 'art to be sure. You and me'll just go back into the parlour, sonny, and get behind the door, and we'll give Bill a little surprise - bless his 'art, I say again.'

So saying, the stranger backed along with me into the parlour, and put me behind him in the corner, so that we were both hidden by the open door. I was very uneasy and alarmed, as you may fancy, and it rather added to my fears to observe that the stranger was certainly frightened himself. He cleared the hilt of his cutlass and loosened the blade in the sheath; and all the time we were waiting there he kept swallowing as if he felt what we used to call a lump in the throat.

At last in strode the captain, slammed the door behind him, without looking to the right or left, and marched straight across the room to where his breakfast awaited him.

`Bill,' said the stranger, in a voice that I thought he had tried to make bold and big.

The captain spun round on his heel and fronted us; all the brown had gone out of his face, and even his nose was blue; he had the look of a man who sees a ghost, or the evil one, or something worse, if anything can be; and, upon my word, I felt sorry to see him, all in a moment, turn so old and sick.

`Come, Bill, you know me; you know an old shipmate, Bill, surely,' said the stranger.

The captain made a sort of gasp.

`Black Dog.' said he.

`And who else?' returned the other, getting more at his ease. `Black Dog as ever was, come for to see his old shipmate Billy, at the ``Admiral Benbow'' inn. Ah, Bill, Bill, we have seen a sight of times, us two, since I lost them two talons,' holding up his mutilated hand.

`Now, look here,' said the captain; `you've run me down; here I am; well, then, speak up: what is it?'

`That's you, Bill,' returned Black Dog, `you're in the right of it, Billy. I'll have a glass of rum from this dear child here, as I've took such a liking to; and we'll sit down, if you please, and talk square, like old shipmates.'

When I returned with the rum, they were already seated on either side of the captain's breakfast table - Black Dog next to the door, and sitting sideways, so as to have one eye on his old shipmate, and one, as I thought, on his retreat.

He bade me go, and leave the door wide open. `None of your keyholes for me, sonny,' he said; and I left them together and retired into the bar.

For a long time, though I certainly did my best to listen I could hear nothing but a low gabbling; but at last the voice: began to grow higher, and I could pick up a word or two mostly oaths, from the captain.

`No, no, no, no; and an end of it!' he cried once. And again `If it comes to swinging, swing all, say I.'

Then all of a sudden there was a tremendous explosion of oaths and other noises - the chair and table went over in a lump, a clash of steel followed, and then a cry of pain, and the next instant I saw Black Dog in full flight, and the captain hotly pursuing, both with drawn cutlasses, and the forme' streaming blood from the left shoulder. Just at the door, that captain aimed at the fugitive one last tremendous cut, which would certainly have split him to the chine had it not been intercepted by our big signboard of Admiral Benbow. You may see the notch on the lower side of the frame to this day.

That blow was the last of the battle. Once out upon that road, Black Dog, in spite of his wound, showed a wonderful clean pair of heels, and disappeared over the edge of the hill in half a minute. The captain,for his part, stood staring at the signboard like a bewildered man. Then he passed his hand over his eyes several times, and at last turned back into the house.

`Jim,' says he, `rum;' and as he spoke, he reeled a little and caught himself with one hand against the wall.

`Are you hurt?' cried I.

`Rum,' he repeated. `I must get away from here. Rum! rum!'

I ran to fetch it; but I was quite unsteadied by all that had fallen out, and I broke one glass and fouled the tap, and while I was still getting in my own way, I heard a loud fall in that parlour, and, running in, beheld the captain lying full length upon the floor. At the same instant my mother, alarmed by the cries and fighting, came running downstairs to help me. Between us we raised his head. He was breathing very loud and hard; but his eyes were closed, and his face a horrible colour.

`Dear, deary me,' cried my mother, `what a disgrace upon the house! And your poor father sick!'

In the meantime, we had no idea what to do to help the captain, nor any other thought but that he had got his death-hurt in the scuffle with the stranger. I got the rum, to be sure, and tried to put it down his throat; but his teeth were tightly shut, and his jaws as strong as iron. It was a happy relief for us when the door opened and Doctor Livesey came in, on his visit to my father.

`Oh, doctor,' we cried, `what shall we do? Where is he wounded?'

`Wounded? A fiddle-stick's end!' said the doctor. `No more wounded than you or I. The man has had a stroke, as I warned him. Now, Mrs Hawkins, just you run upstairs to your husband, and tell him, if possible, nothing about it. For my part, I must do my best to save this fellow's trebly worthless life; and Jim, you get me a basin.'

When I got back with the basin, the doctor had already ripped up the captain's sleeve, and exposed his great sinewy arm. It was tattooed in several places. `Here's luck,' `A fair wind,' and `Billy Bones his fancy,' were very neatly and clearly executed on the forearm; and up near the shoulder there was a sketch of a gallows and a man hanging from it - done, as I thought, with great spirit.

`Prophetic,' said the doctor, touching this picture with his finger. `And now, Master Billy Bones, if that be your name, we'll have a look at the colour of your blood. Jim,' he said, are you afraid of blood?'

`No, sir,' said I.

`Well, then,' said he, `you hold the basin;' and with that he took his lancet and opened a vein.

A great deal of blood was taken before the captain opened his eyes and looked mistily about him. First he recognised the doctor with an unmistakable frown; then his glance fell upon me, and he looked relieved. But suddenly his colour changed, and he tried to raise himself, crying:--

`Where's Black Dog?'

`There is no Black Dog here,' said the doctor, `except what you have on your own back. You have been drinking rum; you have had a stroke, precisely as I told you; and I have just, very much against my own will, dragged you head-foremost out of the grave. Now, Mr Bones--'

`That's not my name,' he interrupted.

`Much I care,' returned the doctor. `It's the name of a buccaneer of my acquaintance; and I call you by it for the sake of shortness, and what I have to say to you is this: one glass of rum won't kill you, but if you take one you'll take another and another, and I stake my wig if you don't break off short, you'll die - do you understand that? - die, and go to your own place, like the man in the Bible. Come, now, make an effort. I'll help you to your bed for once.'

Between us, with much trouble, we managed to hoist him upstairs, and laid him on his bed, where his head fell back on the pillow, as if he were almost fainting.

`Now, mind you,' said the doctor, `I clear my conscience - the name of rum for you is death.'

And with that he went off to see my father, taking me with him by the arm.

`This is nothing,' he said, as soon as he had closed the door. `I have drawn blood enough to keep him quiet a while; he should lie for a week where he is - that is the best thing for him and you; but another stroke would settle him.'

这件事过去不久，就发生了第一桩神秘的事件，那使我们最终摆脱掉了船长，尽管就像你们将会看到的那样，这还并未使我们摆脱掉和他有关的事情。那是个颇为寒冷的冬天，长久地下着严霜，刮着暴风。一看而知，我的可怜的父亲没有多少希望再看到春天了。他一天天衰弱下去，我和母亲挑起了经营旅店的全副担子，忙个不停，再也无心留意那个令人不快的客人了。

那是一月里的一个早晨，很早——一个折磨人的下霜的早晨——海湾覆着白霜，灰蒙蒙的，波浪轻轻拍打着岩石，太阳低低地悬在山尖上，照亮了一大片海面。船长比往常起得早，出发到海边去了，他那把水手用的短刀在旧蓝外套的宽宽的下摆上晃悠着，黄铜望远镜夹在胳膊底下，帽子在头上向右斜歪着。我记得当他大步走开时，他呼出的哈气好像烟雾一般地缭绕在身后，而我听到他发出的最后的声音，是在他转过大石头时，气愤愤地哼了一下鼻子，好像仍对利弗西医生耿耿于怀似的。

那会儿，母亲正同父亲一起呆在楼上，我正往餐桌上摆放早餐，等船长回来。这时客厅的门打开了，一个我从未见过的人走了进来。他是个面色苍白、脂肪过多的家伙，左手少了两个手指。虽然他也带着把水手用的短刀，看上去却不像个好斗的人。我一直留意着水手们是一条腿还是两条腿，可这个人却使我纳闷。他不像个水手，然而身上还带有海上的气味。

我问他要点什么，他说他要郎姆酒。但当我要走出房间去取酒时，他在餐桌旁坐下来，打手势要我过去。我手里拿着餐巾停在那里。

“到这儿来，孩子，”他说，“走近些。”

我走近了一步。

“这张餐桌是我同伴比尔的吗？”他问道，不怀好意地眨了眨眼睛。

我告诉他我不认识他的同伴比尔，而这张桌子是给住在我们这里的一个我们叫做“船长”的人的。

“好啦，”他说，“我的同伴比尔也可能被叫做‘船长’，这很有可能。他的脸上有一道疤，嗜酒如命，我的同伴比尔就是这样。为信服起见，我可以指出，你们的‘船长’脸上有一道刀疤——我们还可以指出，如果你想知道的话，那道刀疤是在右半边脸上。噢，好啦！我都告诉你了。现在，我的同伴比尔是住在这所房子里吧？”

我告诉他，船长到外面散步去了。

“哪条路，孩子？他走的是哪条路？”

我指出了那块岩石，还告诉他船长就快要回来了，并且还回答了几个其他的问题。“噢，”他说，“这对于我的同伴比尔来说将和喝酒一样适合。”

当他说这些话的时候，他脸上的表情却一点也不愉快，于是我就掂量着这陌生人是弄错了人，即使他有意说那样的话。但这不关我的事，我想，而且，此外我也想不出该怎么办。这个陌生人一直守候在旅店的门边，盯着那个角落，就像猫在等耗子出现似的。一旦我向外面走出一步，他就立刻召唤我回来。要是我的动作比他要求的慢了一拍的话，他的脂肪过多的脸就变得特别可怕起来，他用足以让我跳起来的咒骂命令我进来。只要我一回来，他就又恢复了常态，半是巴结、半是讽消地拍拍我的肩膀，说我是个好孩子，而他特别喜欢我。“我有个儿子，”他说，“和你就像一个模子里出来的，他是我最大的骄傲。但是对孩子们来说，最要紧的是听话，孩子——听话。嗯，如果你跟着比尔航行过，你就不需要站在那儿让比尔对你说两遍——你肯定不会。那不是比尔的作风，也不是和他一起航海的人的作风。啊，这肯定是我的同伴比尔，胳膊底下夹个望远镜，哎呀，真的，你和我得回到客厅里去，孩子，到门后边去，我们要让比尔惊奇一下，啊，我再说一遍。”

说着，陌生人和我一起退回到客厅里，把我藏在他后面的角落里，以便我们两个都能藏到开着的门后面。我非常的不安和惊慌，你可以想像得出来，而当我注意到陌生人自己也相当地恐惧时，我的恐惧就又重了一层。他擦了擦短刀的柄，又活动了一下鞘里的刀身，在我们等待的时间里，他不断地咽口水，就好像我们通常说的有什么东西卡在喉咙里似的。

终于，船长大步走进来，砰地一声关掉他身后的门，既不向右看，也不向左看，径直穿过房间，向给他预备好的早餐走过去。

“比尔。”陌生人叫道，用那种在我看来是竭力为自己壮胆的声调。

船长旋转脚跟，面向我们。他棕色的脸孔一下子变了色，连鼻子都青了，他看那个人的样子就像见了鬼或者邪恶的东西，或者这世上能有的什么更坏的东西。而我，说实话，看到他在刹那间变得既苍老又衰弱，感到有些歉疚。

“来，比尔，你是认得我的，你认得老船友的，比尔，这是肯定的。”陌生人说道。

船长发出一声喘息。

“‘黑狗’！”他说。

“还能是谁呢？”另一个回答说，变得轻松了一些。“‘黑狗’和从前一样，看他的老船友比尔来了，在‘本葆海军上将’旅店。噢，比尔，比尔，我们经历了很多事情，我们两个，自从我失去了两根指头。”他举起了他残废的手。

“喂，听着，”船长说，“既然你找到了我，我就在此地，那么好吧，说，有何贵干？”

“有你的，比尔，”“黑狗”答道，“你说得对，比尔。我得让这个可爱的孩子上杯郎姆酒，因为我已有了这么个嗜好。你乐意的话，我们坐下来，像老船友似地好好谈谈。”

当我端来郎姆酒的时候，他们已经分坐在船长早餐桌的两边——“黑狗”靠近门斜坐着，以便盯着老船长，另一方面，我想，也是为了给自己留个退路。

他命令我出去，同时让房门开着。“甭想从你的钥匙孔里探听我些什么，小家伙。”他说。于是我撇下他们俩，退回到酒吧间里去。

很长一段时间，尽管我竭力地听，却除了低低的叽哩咕噜声之外什么也听不清，但是声音终于开始大了起来，我能听到一句两句了，多半是船长的咒骂。

“不，不，不，不，到此为止吧！”他叫道，并且又重复了一遍，“如果要上绞架，就统统都上，我就是这么说的。”

接着就是突如其来的咒骂和其他什么声音的大爆发——椅子和桌子倒在了一块儿，跟着是金属的撞击声，然后是一声痛苦的嘶喊，接下来我看到“黑狗”拼命逃窜，而船长穷追不舍，两人都拔出了水手用的短刀，前者左肩淌着血。就在门口，船长给了那个亡命徒有力的一刀，要不是我们“本葆海军上将”的大招牌挡着，准能将他一劈到底，至今你还可以看到下边的那个缺口哩。

这是那场战斗的最后一击。“黑狗”尽管受了伤，一旦他跑到了路上，却显示出令人叫绝的脚力来，不到半分钟就消失在小丘边上。船长这边却怔怔地直盯着招牌，像个木头人似的。然后他揉了几把眼睛，最后返身回屋了。

“吉姆，”他说，“酒！”当他说话的时候，他有点儿摇晃，于是用一只手扶住墙支撑着身体。

“你受伤了吗？”我叫道。

“酒，”他重复着，“我必须离开这里。酒！酒！”

我飞奔着去取酒，但发生的这一切使我心烦意乱，我打碎了一个杯子，碰坏了一个活嘴儿，而当我返回来的时候，我听到客厅里有重物倒地的声音，跑进去时，只见船长仰面躺在地板上。这时，母亲已被叫声和打斗声惊动了，跑下楼来帮助我。我们合力搬起了他的脑袋，他的呼吸非常重浊和吃力，眼睛闭着，脸色十分难看。

“哎呀，乖乖，”母亲叫道，“这屋子怎么这么倒霉呀！你可怜的爸爸还在病着！”

这会儿，至于究竟怎样才能帮助船长，我们都没了主意，除了想到他是在同陌生人的混战中得了这个致命伤外，简直想不到别的。我甚至拿来了酒，试着往他的喉咙里灌；但是他牙关紧闭，下颚像铁一样僵硬。当门打开、利弗西医生走进来时，我们大喜过望。他是来看望我父亲的。

“噢，大夫，”我们叫道，“该怎么办哪？他伤在哪儿啦？”

“伤了？乱弹琴！”医生说，“和你我一样完好。这个人是中风了，就像我警告过他的那样。现在，霍金斯太太，可能的话，你赶紧跑到楼上你丈夫那儿，告诉他没什么事。至于我这方面，一定会尽力挽救这个家伙毫无价值的生命。吉姆，给我拿个盆来。”

当我取来盆时，医生已招起了船长的衣袖，露出了他粗壮的胳膊，上面有几处刺花。前臂上精巧、清晰地刺着“好运在此”、“顺风”以及“比尔·彭斯的爱物”，而上头挨近肩膀的地方则刺着个一个人吊在绞刑架上的草图。刺这些画，照我看，是费了好大的功夫。

“是个预言，”医生边用手指触摸着这幅画边说。“现在，比尔·彭斯船长——如果这是你的名字的话，我们来看看你血液的颜色。吉姆，”他说，“你怕血吗？”

“不，先生。”我说。

“那么好吧，”他说，“你端着盆。”说着他拿起刺血针刺穿了一条静脉。

在放了大量的血之后，船长睁开了眼睛，迷迷糊糊地望着四周。他先是认出了医生，明显地皱了皱眉，然后他的目光又扫向我，看上去就放松了些。但是猛然间他的脸色就变了，挣扎着要起来，叫道：“‘黑狗’在哪儿？”“这儿没什么‘黑狗’，”医生说，“只有你躺在这里。你一直酗酒，已经中风，就像我曾明白地告诉过你的那样。而巳刚刚，我违反了我的意愿，抢先把你从坟墓里拖了出来。现在，彭斯先生——”

“那不是我的名字。”他打断道。

“我当然明白。”医生回答说。

“这是我知道的一个海盗的名字。我这样称呼你是方便起见，而我不得不对你说的是：一杯酒不会要你的命，但是如果你喝了一杯，你就会接二连三地喝下去，我以我法官的假发来打赌，要是你恶习不改，你会送命——你明白这个意思吗？——送命，并且去你该去的地方，像《圣经》里的那个人。现在，来，努把力，我来帮你回到床上去。”

我们俩费了九牛二虎之力，设法把他抬到了楼上，放倒在床上，使他的脑袋靠在了枕头上，好像他快要昏迷过去了。

“现在，我提醒你，”医生说，“好让我问心无愧——‘酒’这个字眼对你而言即是死亡。”

说完，他就拉着我的胳膊去看我的父亲。

“不碍事，”当他关上门的时候说道，“我给他放掉的血足以使他安静一会。他会在那儿躺上一个星期——对他对你来说最好不过，但是再来一次中风的话，他就没救了。”