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I was happy I'd managed to get away from Long John, so I began to enjoy exploring this strange island.

2
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I crossed a marshy area full of willows, cattails, and odd swamp trees and came out near an open piece of rolling, sandy land.

3
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It was about a mile long and dotted with pines, with a great number of twisted trees, similar to oaks but with paler leaves.

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On the far side of this open area was one of the hills, showing two rocky peaks that shone vividly in the sun.

5
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As I was gazing at some unfamiliar flowers,

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a snake suddenly raised its head from a nearby rock and hissed at me with a noise that sounded like the spinning of a top.

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"I wonder if that snake is poisonous," I thought, backing away.

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Later, I would find out that it certainly was and the sound was its rattle.

9
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Eventually, I came to a long thicket of the twisted, oaklike trees, which grew low along the sand like rambling bushes.

10
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This thicket stretched down from the top of one of the hills and grew taller until it reached the edge of the wide wetland.

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There, a river made its way to the anchorage, and as the marsh steamed in the strong sun, the outline of Spyglass Hill trembled through the haze.

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"What a strange island," I said to myself.

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Suddenly a wild duck flew up with a quack, and then another followed.

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Soon a great cloud of birds scattered, screaming and circling in the air.

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"Some of my shipmates must be near," I thought, and I soon heard the distant, low tones of a human voice, and then another voice.

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They were growing louder.

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Scared, I crawled under cover of the nearest bush, moments before the speakers paused and, I supposed, sat down.

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The birds grew quiet and settled again to their places in the swamp.

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I crawled steadily but slowly on all fours toward the speakers until, at last, I raised my head.

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I could see between the trees all the way down into a little green clearing beside the marsh.

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Long John Silver stood there with the sun beating down on him, conversing with another man.

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"Tim Cooper," he said, "it's because I like you that I'm warning you. Join us!"

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Tim's face was red and he spoke in a hoarse, shaky voice.

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"Silver," he replied, "you have a good reputation—and money too, which lots of sailors don't.

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So why are you going along with those swabs? I'd sooner die than turn against my captain."

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"An honest man!" I thought.

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Then suddenly, from far out in the marsh, a cry of anger rang out.

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Could that be another man who didn't want to join the pirates?

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The cry, however, was followed by a long, horrible scream, and the boom of a gunshot.

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The sound echoed against the rocks of Spyglass Hill.

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The whole marsh of birds rose again, darkening the sky.

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Then the air became silent except for the rustle of the birds.

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Tim jumped at the sound, but Long John didn't even blink.

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He stood where he was, resting lightly on his crutch, looking like a snake about to strike.

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"John!" Tim said, stretching out his hand. "Please, don't do this."

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"Don't touch me!" roared Long John, leaping back with the speed of a trained gymnast.

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"All right, I won't touch you," Tim said. "But just tell me, what was all that screaming?"

38
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"That?" said Long John, smiling but warier than ever, his eyes like glass. "Oh, I reckon that was Alan Jenkins."

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"Alan!" cried Tim. "Rest his soul, he was a true seaman!

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As for you, Long John Silver, you're no mate of mine.

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If I die like a dog, I'll die doing the right thing.

42
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You've killed Alan, have you? Kill me too, if you can, but I won't join you."

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Then the brave fellow turned his back and started walking toward the beach, but he did not go far.

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With a cry, Long John seized a broken tree branch to steady himself and then hurled his crutch like a missile at poor Tim Cooper's back.

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It struck him—point first—with stunning violence, right between the shoulders.

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Tim's hands flew up, and he gave a sort of gasp and fell.

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Long John, agile as a monkey even without a leg or crutch, was on him in a moment and stabbed Tim hard in the back twice with his knife.

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I could hear Long John panting as he struck the blows and I must have fainted, because the whole world swam away from me in a whirling mist.

49
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Long John, the birds, and the tall Spyglass hilltop spun around and around.

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When I recovered, the monster had his crutch under his arm and his hat on his head.

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The murderer wiped his bloodstained knife on a tall wisp of grass beside Tim's motionless body.

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I couldn't believe I'd just witnessed a human life cruelly cut short.

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Then Long John blew a whistle, and several blasts rang far across the heated air.

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I was afraid, knowing more men would come at his signal.

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"I've got to get out of here," I thought. "Two honest men are dead—I might be next."

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Immediately, I crawled back to the thicket with all the speed and silence I could manage, while Long John and his men shouted to one another.

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As soon as I got to the trees, I ran as I'd never run before.

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I didn't care which way I went, so long as it was away from the murderers.

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After a long while, I neared the foot of the little hill with the two rocky peaks,

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and here a fresh alarm brought me to a standstill with a thumping heart.