by Blake Hoena
Some hours later, the creak of the front door startles you. In walks a strange man. He is pale and thin, and immediately you look down to see if he’s missing a leg. There are two legs. You’re disappointed and relieved to learn that he’s not the seafaring man whom Captain has been looking for.
“Have you seen my mate Bill?” he asks. “I heard he was staying here.”
“I don’t know any Bill,” you reply.
“Well, my mate Bill has a cut on one cheek,” the man explains. “That cheek’s the right one. You sure he ain’t staying at this inn?”
You realize he’s looking for Captain. But he’s not the one-legged seaman. He calls Captain his “mate,” so they could be friends.
“Captain is out for a walk,” you say.
“Aye, he calls himself Captain, eh?” the man says. “When will he be back then?”
“He usually stops in around lunchtime for a bite to eat,” you answer.
“Then I guess I’ll just wait for my mate Bill,” he says. “We have some business to discuss.”
As he says this, he fingers the hilt of the cutlass that hangs from his belt. You begin to wonder if you’ve made a mistake. You’re not sure if this man means Captain any harm.
Should you warn Captain before he returns, and will the stranger get angry if you do? Or will you wait for Captain’s return and hope the men are friends? What will you choose to do?
Warn Captain.
Stay at the inn.
You need to warn Captain, to let him know about this man. But you have to be smart about it. You return to your chores.
The minutes tick away, and the man eventually steps outside. That gives you your chance to get away. While it may not be safe to leave through the front door, there is another way. You hurry through the kitchen. Then you sneak out the back door.
You can’t go down the main road. The man might see you from the Admiral Benbow. So you take the long way. You duck behind houses and sprint through fields.
By the time you reach the harbor, you’re exhausted. You search the cove, but Captain is nowhere to be seen.
You make your way toward the docks. Crowds of sailors and fishermen mill about. There are too many people and too many ships. And it’s almost noon.
You decide to hurry back to the Admiral Benbow. Maybe you can catch Captain on his way to the inn.
As you race along the road, you don’t see Captain anywhere. You worry that it’s too late, that he’s already at the Admiral Benbow.
Just as you reach the inn, the stranger bursts out the front door. His eyes dart about wildly, as if he’s looking for danger. He doesn’t notice you, but you see that his left arm hangs loose at his side. There’s been a fight. He’s hurt, and his shirt is blood-stained.
“Black Dog,” Captain shouts weakly from inside.
The stranger runs down the road. You dash inside. In the middle of the parlor, Captain lies face down.
“Dear, deary me,” your mother cries from the top of the stairs. “Send for Dr. Livesey.”
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The stranger isn’t the one-legged sailor. Maybe Captain and this man are even friends. You decide to stay at the inn and do your chores.
The stranger waits just behind the door. Every now and then, he peers around the corner like a cat waiting for a mouse.
You try stepping outside, but he blocks your path. “And where do you think you’re going, sonny?” he says.
“I need to fetch some water.”
“Well, it’s near noon,” he says. “Why don’t you and me just go back into the parlor and wait for Bill there?”
As the stranger backs away from the door, he drags you along with him. He pushes you into a corner and stands in front of you. Then he pulls his cutlass from its sheath. Surely, he’s no friend of Captain’s.
At last, in walks Captain. He slams the door closed behind him and marches across the parlor without even noticing you or the stranger.
“Bill,” the stranger whispers.
Captain spins on his heels. All the color rushes from his face, as if he’s seen a ghost.
“Black Dog!” Captain curses.
“And who else would come to see you here at the Admiral Benbow?” Black Dog asks.
“So you’ve found me,” Captain says. “What is it that you want?”
“Now, Billy, let’s talk like old shipmates,” Black Dog says. Then he turns to you. “Get along, sonny.”
You leave to do your chores as they sit down near the fireplace. They begin to chat in hushed tones. You cannot hear what they’re saying.
A few moments pass. Then, while your back is turned, there is a tremendous explosion of words. The table tips over. Both men stand, and their chairs crash to the floor. Swords are drawn. The clang of steel rings out—then a cry of pain.
Black Dog dashes out the door. His left arm hangs loosely at his side. Captain gives chase, but he doesn’t make it far. He suddenly stops and collapses face down in the middle of the parlor.
“Dear, deary me,” your mother cries from the top of the stairs. “Send for Dr. Livesey.”
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By the time Livesey arrives, you’ve rolled Captain onto his back. The doctor pulls up Captain’s sleeve to begin examining him. On the exposed arm you see the words “Billy Bones” tattooed into his flesh. That must be Captain’s name.
“Oh, doctor,” your mother cries, “what shall we do? Where is he wounded?”
The doctor replies, “He’s no more wounded than you or I. He had a stroke.”
Slowly, Captain awakens. You and Livesey manage to get him to his room, where he collapses onto his bed. Then, back down in the parlor, Livesey tells your mother that Captain will need to rest for several days.
“And as soon as he’s well,” Livesey says, “I would see him out the door. His sort will only bring you trouble.”
Not only is he the town’s doctor, Livesey serves as its magistrate, enforcing the local laws.
Over the next few days, you visit Captain to bring him food and water. Usually he is too tired to stir, but one day, he grabs your arm as you’re about to leave. “Have you seen that one-legged seafaring man today?”
“You mean Black Dog?” you ask.
“Nah! Not Black Dog,” he says. “He’s a bad un, but there’s worse than he.”
“What do they want with you?” you ask.
Captain sucks in several deep breaths. Then he points to his sea chest. “That,” he says.
Before you can ask what’s in the chest, he starts to rant on about a man named Flint and knowing some secret. Then he collapses, exhausted.
You don’t know what it all means. But you’re sure there’s a connection between Flint, the one-legged man, and Captain’s sea chest.
A few days later, Captain is strong enough to come downstairs for meals. He eats, has a drink, and heads back to bed. You aren’t sure he’s getting any better, though. He still looks weak and pale, and he struggles to get up and down the stairs.
One morning, while Captain is in the parlor eating breakfast, you step outside. It’s a bright, sunny day. The sun is behind you, and your shadow stretches down the road to Bristol. You watch people walking up from the coast. Among them is a hunched-over man wearing a tattered sea cloak. He holds out a long stick in front of him and tap-tap-taps his way down the road.
Lifting his head every now and then, he calls out, “Will any kind friend help a poor, blind beggar? Tell me, where am I?”
“You are at the Admiral Benbow,” you say as he reaches the inn.
The man scuttles over to you. “Will you give me your arm, my kind young friend?” he asks.
You do so, and he grips your arm like a vice. “Now, boy,” he whispers into your ear, “take me to
Captain Billy, or I’ll break your arm.”
He’s blind, but might he pose any danger to you or to Captain? You could lead him away. But will you risk a broken arm to do so? What will you choose to do?
Lead the man away.
Lead the man to Captain.
You worry about Captain’s health, and you sense that this man means him harm. So you decide to lead the man away from the inn.
“Here, it’s this way,” you say.
First, you spin the man around to face the inn and take a step forward. Then, as you take another step, you spin him back down the road to Bristol. You take a few more steps when suddenly you feel his grip tighten.
“Lad,” he curses, “I can feel the sun on my back. You’re leading me back the way I just came.”
With surprising strength, the blind man yanks you around. You hear a muffled crack and feel a sharp pain as your arm goes limp. He has just broken your arm!
“I keep my promises, boy,” he snarls. “Now take me to Captain, or I’ll break your other arm.”
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The man gives your arm a yank. You wince in pain.
“Well, what will it be, boy?” he snarls.
You decide to lead him into the Admiral Benbow. He doesn’t seem as dangerous as Black Dog. You hope Captain is well enough to handle a little excitement.
“Right this way,” you say.
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You walk into the Admiral Benbow’s parlor. The blind beggar still holds your arm. You see Captain across the room. He’s hunkered over his breakfast. You lead the beggar over to him.
Captain glances up as you shuffle near. Suddenly, he looks frail and weak, as if all life has left his body.
“Pew?” Captain gasps, about to stand. “What are you doing here?”
“Now, Bill, sit where you are,” Pew says. “And hold out your hand.” Pew lets go of you and reaches into his pocket. He takes out a scrap of paper, which he hands to Captain. “And now that’s done,” he says.
Pew spins away from you and scurries out the door. You hear the tap-tap-tapping of his stick echoing from down the road.
On the piece of paper in Captain’s palm is a large black spot.
“This means they’re coming for me,” is all he says. Slowly, he leans forward and collapses onto the floor. He’s had another stroke; this time he doesn’t survive.
You run and tell your mother what’s happened. “What should we do?” you ask.
“He still owes us rent for last month,” your mother says. “If we don’t take it from his chest now, we’ll never see our money.”
She locks the front door. “Once we have our money,” she adds, “we’ll send for Dr. Livesey.”
You nod. Money is tight; you know that she worries about the costs of running the Admiral Benbow.
You follow her upstairs and into Captain’s room. Your mother rushes over to the sea chest. She throws the lid open.
The first thing you see is a nice suit of clothes that look as if they’ve never been worn. Your mother digs further into the chest and pulls out a silver compass, a pistol, a brass telescope, and a tattered book. There are some other trinkets and pieces of clothing. The last thing she finds is a canvas bag full of coins. It jingles as she holds it up.
“I’m an honest woman,” your mother says. “I’ll only take what’s owed me.” She pours out some coins and begins to count them.
Before she’s done, you hear a familiar tap-tap-tapping coming from outside.
“Mother,” you say, “that blind beggar is back. We’d better go.”
Then you hear Pew shout, “Black Dog, check the front door!”
The handle rattles loudly.
“It’s locked,” Black Dog yells.
You have to hurry. Your mom scoops up the coins she’s counted out, but what will you take?
If the blind beggar broke your arm, you can only grab one item. If not, select two items. Write on a piece of paper the item(s) you choose, so you’ll remember what you selected during the rest of your adventure.
Brass telescope—Captain carried his telescope everywhere he went. Maybe it’s more than just a simple telescope. Does it hold any secrets?
Pistol—with Pew and Black Dog outside, you could use the pistol for protection. But you’re young. Do you know how to use it correctly?
Silver compass—your mom was only able to grab a handful of coins, but Captain owes you more. Is the compass valuable?
Tattered book—the book doesn’t have a title, so maybe it’s Captain’s journal. What sorts of secrets might it contain inside?
After you’ve chosen, go to the next page.
You and your mother rush downstairs.
“Come on, you oafs,” Pew yells from outside. “Break the door down.”
You hear the impact of a couple of large bodies against the door. The bolt holds, but the wooden door creaks painfully. It won’t last long. Luckily, there’s a back way out of the inn.
“My dear,” your mother says suddenly. She looks pale. “Take the money and run. I am going to faint.”
You know you can’t leave her. She wouldn’t be safe with the villains just on the other side of the door. You grab your mother by the arm and lead her through the kitchen. Then you sneak out the back door just as the front door gives way.
“Bill’s dead!” someone shouts from inside.
“Find his chest,” Pew yells.
Without daring a glance back, you rush toward Dr. Livesey’s house.
You’re there within a few minutes, exhausted and breathing heavily. Livesey is not alone. He and a friend of his, Mr. Trelawney, greet you at the door.
“What’s the matter, lad?” Trelawney asks as Livesey attends to your mother.
You tell him about what happened at the inn.
“I will sound the alarm,” Trelawney says, and then he runs off.
“What do you think they were after?” Livesey asks while he takes care of your mother.
“Probably something in Captain’s sea chest,” your mother whispers weakly. “He had a bag of coins. Maybe they wanted money.” She holds out the coins she took.
“I might have the thing they were after,” you say.
Livesey looks from your mother to you. “What is it, Jim?”
You hold out what you took.
If you have the tattered book, click here.
If not, click here.
Livesey considers what you took from Captain’s sea chest. Then he says, “I’m not sure this would be worth killing him for. Is this all that was in the chest?”
You describe everything you saw.
“Hmmm...” the doctor thinks. “Nothing sounds very valuable.”
Just then, Trelawney comes through the door. “They got away,” he says. Then he walks over to your mother. “I’m sorry, but they ransacked your house, knocking over furniture and tossing your belongings about. Those ruffians must have been looking for something.”
“What about Captain’s sea chest?” Livesey asks. He repeats the items that you described. “Did you notice anything missing?”
“There wasn’t any book,” Trelawney replies.
“That’s what they must have been after,” Livesey says. “Jim, are you sure you didn’t grab that?”
You nod.
“Too bad,” Livesey says. “Now we’ll never know what secrets Captain was hiding.”
During the days that follow, Livesey takes care of you and your mother. Trelawney helps you fix up the Admiral Benbow.
You don’t see Black Dog again, but you still keep watch for the seafaring man with one leg. A part of you senses that you’ve missed out on a great adventure. Now, you’ll probably be stuck here for the rest of your life.
Try again.
Livesey takes the book from you and opens it. “Have you heard of anyone named Flint?” he asks, looking up at you. “This appears to be a journal of his.”
“No, not really,” you reply. “Captain did mention a Flint once, but I wasn’t sure who he was.”
Just then, Trelawney comes through the door. “They got away,” he says. Then he walks over to your mother. “I’m sorry, but they ransacked your house, knocking over furniture and tossing your belongings about. Those ruffians must have been looking for something.”
“Probably this,” Livesey says, holding out the book for Trelawney. As he does, a folded slip of paper falls from the book. You pick it up.
“Why, this is Cap’n Flint’s,” Trelawney says.
“You know of him?” Livesey asks.
“Heard of him,” Trelawney answers. “He was the bloodthirstiest pirate that ever sailed.”
The doctor points at the book in Trelawney’s hands. “I think that’s his logbook,” he adds.
Trelawney thumbs through a few pages. “It is!” he exclaims. “This is a record of every ship he’s sunk, every town he’s plundered, and every ounce of gold he stole. When he died a few years back, people were wondering what happened to all his loot.”
“But it doesn’t say in the book,” the doctor notes.
“What about this?” you ask, holding out the paper.
Livesey excitedly snatches it from you. “It’s a map,” he yelps as he smooths it out on a table.
You and Trelawney lean over the piece of paper with him. It’s the map of an island, Treasure Island. There are latitude and longitude markings, as well as the names of hills, bays, and inlets. In the center of the island, there’s a hill called “Spyglass.” There is also an X drawn in red ink, with the words “bulk of treasure here” next to it, on the southern half of the island. Southeast of Treasure Island is a smaller isle called Skeleton Island.