Treasure Island / Остров сокровищ

” Obeying this order, we found, or rather I found – for the gamekeeper was a poor hand at reading anything but print – the following important news:

“Old Anchor Inn,

Bristol, March 1, 17-.

“Dear Livesey: As I do not know whether you are at the Hall or still in London, I send this in double to both places.

“The ship is bought and fitted. She lies at anchor, ready for sea. You never imagined a sweeter schooner – a child might sail her – two hundred tons; name, Hispaniola.

“I got her through my old friend, Blandly, who has proved himself throughout the most surprising trump.

The admirable fellow literally slaved in my interest, and so, I may say, did everyone in Bristol, as soon as they got wind of the port we sailed for – treasure, I mean.”

“Redruth,” said I, interrupting the letter, “Doctor Livesey will not like that. The squire has been talking, after all.”

“Well, who's a better right?” growled the gamekeeper. “A pretty rum go if Squire ain't to talk for Doctor Livesey, I should think.

”

At that I gave up all attempt at commentary, and read straight on:

“Blandly himself found the Hispaniola, and by the most admirable management got her for the merest trifle. There is a class of men in Bristol monstrously prejudiced against Blandly. They go the length of declaring that this honest creature would do anything for money; that the Hispaniola belonged to him, and that he sold to me absurdly high – the most transparent calumnies.

None of them dare, however, to deny the merits of the ship.

“So far there was not a hitch. The workpeople, to be sure – riggers and what not – were most annoyingly slow, but time cured that. It was the crew that troubled me.

“I wished a round score of men – in case of natives, buccaneers, or the odious French – and I had the worry of the deuce itself to find so much as half a dozen, till the most remarkable stroke of fortune brought me the very man that I required.

“I was standing on the dock, when, by the merest accident, I fell in talk with him. I found he was an old sailor, kept a public house, knew all the seafaring men in Bristol, had lost his health ashore, and wanted a good berth as cook to get to sea again. He had hobbled down there that morning, he said, to get a smell of the salt.

“I was monstrously touched – so would you have been – and, out of pure pity, I engaged him on the spot to be ship's cook.