Treasure Island

TREASURE ISLAND"That 's a summons, mate. I '11 tellyou if they get that.But you keep your weather-eye open, Jim, and I '11 share withyou equals, upon my honour."He wandered a little longer, his voice growing weaker;but soon after I had given him his medicine, which he tooklike a child, with the remark, "If ever a seaman wanted drugs,it 's me," he fell at last into a heavy, swoon -like sleep,inwhich I left him. What I should have done had allgonewell I do not know. Probably I should have told the wholestory to the doctor;for I was in mortal fear lest the captainshould repent of his confessions and make an end of me.But as thingsfell out, my poor father died quite suddenly thatevening, which allput other matters on one side. Our naturaldistress, the visits of the neighbours, the arranging of thefuneral, and all the work of the inn to be carried on in themeanwhile, kept me so busy that I had scarcelytime to thinkof the captain,far less to be afraid of him.He got down-stairs next morning, to be sure, and had hismeals as usual, though he ate little, and had more, I anaafraid, than his usual supply of rum, for he helped himselfout of the bar, scowling and blowing through his nose, andno one dared to cross him. On the night before the funeralhe was as drunk as ever; and it was shocking, in that houseof mourning, to hear him singing away at his uglyold seasong;but, weak as he was, we were all in the fear of deathfor him, and the doctor was suddenly taken up with a casemany miles away, and was never near the house after myfather's death.I have said the captain was weak; and indeedhe seemed rather to grow weaker than regain his strength.[22]