Острів Скарбів / Treasure Island

It was the tallow-faced man, wanting two fingers, who had come first to the «Admiral Benbow».

«Oh», I cried, «stop him! It’s Black Dog!»

«I don’t care two coppers who he is», cried Silver. «But he hasn’t paid his score. Harry, run and catch him».

One of the others who was nearest the door leaped up and started in pursuit.

«If he were Admiral Hawke he shall pay his score», cried Silver; and then, relinquishing my hand, «Who did you say he was?» he asked. «Black what?»

«Dog, sir», said I.

«Has Mr. Trelawney not told you of the buccaneers? He was one of them».

«So?» cried Silver. «In my house! Ben, run and help Harry. One of those swabs, was he? Was that you drinking with him, Morgan? Step up here».

The man whom he called Morgan – an old, grey-haired, mahogany-faced sailor – came forward pretty sheepishly, rolling his quid.

«Now, Morgan», said Long John very sternly, «you never clapped your eyes on that Black – Black Dog before, did you, now?»

«Not I, sir», said Morgan with a salute.

«You didn’t know his name, did you?»

«No, sir».

«By the powers, Tom Morgan, it’s as good for you!» exclaimed the landlord. «If you had been mixed up with the like of that, you would never have put another foot in my house, you may lay to that. And what was he saying to you?»

«I don’t rightly know, sir», answered Morgan.

«Do you call that a head on your shoulders, or a blessed dead-eye?» cried Long John. «Don’t rightly know, don’t you! Perhaps you don’t happen to rightly know who you was speaking to, perhaps? Come, now, what was he jawing – v’yages, cap’ns, ships? Pipe up! What was it?»

«We was a-talkin’ of keel-hauling», answered Morgan.

«Keel-hauling, was you? And a mighty suitable thing, too, and you may lay to that. Get back to your place for a lubber, Tom».

And then, as Morgan rolled back to his seat, Silver added to me in a confidential whisper that was very flattering, as I thought, «He’s quite an honest man, Tom Morgan, on’y stupid.

And now», he ran on again, aloud, «let’s see – Black Dog? No, I don’t know the name, not I. Yet I kind of think I’ve – yes, I’ve seen the swab. He used to come here with a blind beggar, he used».

«That he did, you may be sure», said I. «I knew that blind man too. His name was Pew».

«It was!» cried Silver, now quite excited. «Pew! That were his name for certain.