Остров сокровищ / Treasure Island

Livesey rode away, but the captain was silent that evening and for many evenings after.

2.В Black Dog Appears and Disappears

It was one January morning, very early. The captain rose earlier than usual and went to the beach, with a brass telescope under his arm.

My mother was upstairs with father and I was laying the breakfast-table when the door opened and a man came in. He was a pale thin man, wanting two fingers of the left hand [11 - wanting two fingers of the left hand – на левой руке не хватало двух пальцев].

“Come here, son,” says he. “Come nearer here. Is this here table for my friend Bill?” he asked.

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

“Well,” said he, “it’s my friend Bill. Let’s get behind the door, and we’ll give Bill a little surprise.”

So the stranger put me behind him in the corner so that we were both hidden by the open door.

We began to wait for the captain. At last he arrived and marched across the room to where his breakfast awaited him.

“Bill,” said the stranger.

The captain turned round. He had the look of a man who saw a ghost, or something worse.

“Come, Bill, you know me; you know an old friend,” said the stranger.

“Black Dog!” said the captain.

“And who else! Black Dog has come to see his old friend Billy, at the Admiral Benbow Inn. We’ll sit down, and talk, like old friends.

”

When I returned with the rum, they were already sitting. Black Dog asked me to go out and leave the door open. I left them together and returned to the bar.

For a long time I certainly did my best to listen [12 - did my best to listen – изо всех сил старался услышать], but I could hear nothing. Then I heard the sound of knives and a cry of pain. The next instant I saw Black Dog, he was injured. He was running very fast.

The captain ran after him and threw his knife at Black Dog. Then Black Dog disappeared.

“Jim,” says the captain, “rum”. “Rum,” he repeated. “I must get away from here. Rum! Rum!”

I ran out. When I came back, the captain was lying on the floor. He was breathing very loudly, his eyes were closed, his face was pale.

We had no idea what to do to help the captain. Suddenly the door opened and Dr. Livesey came in, on his visit to my father.