Treasure Island by Henry Brook

Author:Henry Brook
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Usborne Publishing Ltd
Published: 2013-04-12T00:00:00+00:00

From the sound of the impact, I guessed the crutch had snapped Tom’s back and he was dead before he hit the ground. But Silver was taking no chances. He sprang across the clearing like a monkey, and the next instant was on top of the sailor and had buried his knife in his motionless body. I was so close, I could hear him pant aloud as he jabbed at the corpse.

The murderer cleaned his knife on some tufts of grass, collected his hat and crutch, then calmly took a whistle from his pocket and blew a high note several times. My mind racing with all I’d just seen, I realized the danger I was in. The rest of the pirate gang would be rushing to answer this signal, thrashing through the ferns and clambering around the trees towards me. I had to escape. Backing away from the ledge, I heard a chorus of wild calls and shouts erupt from the forest. They were close already. Once I had skirted the oaks in the swamp, I started running, directionless and almost blind with fear, until my legs could hardly move. But at least I was away from the pirates and out of immediate danger. When I had recovered enough strength to lift my head and look around, I almost jumped in fright. I saw a flicker, a dark, threatening shape, darting between the trees ahead.

I couldn’t tell what kind of beast it was: a bear, monkey or man. But the sight filled me with terror. I started retracing my steps through the forest, less afraid of Silver and his men than of this phantom creature. But I noticed the shape flitting from trunk to trunk to cut off my retreat. It was running stooped over on two legs and I could see it was some kind of a man – but unlike any man I’d seen before. I tried to recall all the stories I’d heard about savages and cannibals, wondering if there was some way I could protect myself. Then I remembered the pistol in my pocket, and felt a rush of courage. I advanced boldly towards the wild man.

I saw a dark face studying me from behind a tree trunk. As I approached he stepped out into the light, then hesitated, before finally throwing himself down on his hands and knees.

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