That was all; but brief as it was, and to me incomprehensible, it filled
the squire and Dr. Livesey with delight.
Livesey, said the squire, you will give up this wretched practice
at once. Tomorrow I start for Bristol. In three weeks time--three
weeks!--two weeks--ten days--we ll have the best ship, sir, and the
choicest crew in England. Hawkins shall come as cabin-boy. You ll make
a famous cabin-boy, Hawkins. You, Livesey, are ship s doctor; I am
admiral. We ll take Redruth, Joyce, and Hunter. We ll have favourable
winds, a quick passage, and not the least difficulty in finding the
spot, and money to eat, to roll in, to play duck and drake with ever
after.
Trelawney, said the doctor, I ll go with you; and I ll go bail for
it, so will Jim, and be a credit to the undertaking. There s only one
man I m afraid of.
And who s that? cried the squire. Name the dog, sir!
You, replied the doctor; for you cannot hold your tongue. We are not
the only men who know of this paper. These fellows who attacked the
inn tonight--bold, desperate blades, for sure--and the rest who stayed
aboard that lugger, and more, I dare say, not far off, are, one and all,
through thick and thin, bound that they ll get that money. We must none
of us go alone till we get to sea. Jim and I shall stick together in the
meanwhile; you ll take Joyce and Hunter when you ride to Bristol, and
from first to last, not one of us must breathe a word of what we ve
found.
Livesey, returned the squire, you are always in the right of it. I ll
be as silent as the grave.
PART TWO--The Sea-cook
36