Treasure Island

Thither we had now towalk, and our way, tomy great delight,TREASURE ISLANDlay along the quays and beside the greatmultitude ofships of all sizes and rigs and nations. In one, sailors weresinging at their work; in another, there were men aloft, highover my head, hangingto threads that seemed no thickerthan a spider's. Though I had lived by the shore all mylife, I seemed never to have been near the sea till then. Thesmell of tar and salt was something new. I saw the mostwonderful figureheads, that had allbeen far over the ocean.I saw, besides, many old sailors, with rings in their ears, andwhiskers curled in ringlets,and tarry pigtails,and their swaggering,clumsy sea-walk; and if I had seen as many kingsor archbishops I could not have been more delighted.And I was going to sea myself; to sea in a schooner, witha piping boatswain, and pig-tailed singing seamen; to sea,bound for an unknown island, and to seek for buried treasures!While I was still in this delightful dream, we came suddenlyin front of a large inn, and met Squire Trelawney,alldressed out like a sea-officer, in stout blue cloth, comingouf:of the door with a smile on hisof a sailor's walk.face, and a capitalimitation'Here you are," he cried, "and the doctor came last nighfcfrom London. Bravo! the ship's company complete!""Oh, sir," cried I, "when do we sail ?""Sail!" says he. "We sail to-morrow!"