by Blake Hoena
“Israel,” Long John whispers, “you keep doing your duty, now, and I’ll tell you when.”
You hear Hands mutter under his breath.
“I don’t know where Flint’s map is, no more than you. We’ll have to trust Captain Smollett, the doctor, and Mr. Trelawney to get us where we’re going. Once we’re there, then we act,” Long John explains.
“So what will you do with everyone who’s not with you?” the sailor asks.
You gulp as that question is raised. What will be your fate? You begin to worry that you won’t even survive this night.
“Dead men don’t bite,” Israel says. “So what say you, Silver?”
Before Long John can answer, someone shouts, “Land ho!”
The three men stomp off toward the front of the ship. Other sailors quickly follow. They all gather at the bow as a large shadow looms along the horizon.
While everyone is distracted, you sneak out of the barrel. You need to find Livesey and Trelawney and tell them of the danger that you’re all in.
They and Captain Smollett are near the front of the ship, with the rest of the sailors.
“Has any one of you ever seen that island ahead?” the captain asks.
“I have, sir,” Long John says. “I’ve watered there with a trader while serving as cook aboard his ship.”
“Where’s the best place to lay anchor?” the captain asks. “I have a chart here of the island.”
You watch, horrified, as the captain shows Long John a map of Treasure Island. But then you notice that it’s not the treasure map; there’s no red X on it. It’s only a copy of the original map. You let loose a sigh of relief while you see a look of disappointment cross Long John’s face.
He quickly recovers and says, “The best anchorage is on the south side.” He points at a place on the map.
While Smollett and Long John talk, you seek out Livesey. He’s at the railing and staring out at the island ahead. You casually stroll over to him, so as not to draw attention to yourself.
You whisper, “Doctor, we need to speak. Get the captain and Trelawney, and meet me in the captain’s cabin. I have terrible news.” Before Livesey can reply, you saunter off.
Some moments later, the four of you are gathered in the cabin.
“I gave the crew each a spot of rum to celebrate reaching the island,” the captain says. “They won’t be bothering us. What’s all this about?”
The three adults look to you, and you quickly tell them what you heard. As you recall it all, worry twists your friends’ faces into looks of concern.
“Captain Smollett,” Trelawney says, “you were right. Chasing after treasure is a tricky thing. Who knew the crew would turn against us?”
“Nothing we can do about it now,” the captain says. “We’ll have to find out how many men are with us and how many are pirates.”
“At least we have all the guns under lock and key,” Livesey adds.
3. Treasure Island
The next day is tense. The captain orders that the ship be anchored on the south side of the island while Livesey and Trelawney determine how many of the crew can be trusted. Along with your small group, there are three trusted sailors that you know of. Tom could be a possible fourth. That means, out of the twenty-six men aboard the Hispaniola, you are greatly outnumbered.
Meanwhile, the crew grows restless, as if they can smell treasure in the air. They are lazy in their duties, and Captain Smollett has to coax them with threats to get them to obey.
Near day’s end, Long John approaches the captain. He says, “Maybe a turn ashore’ll calm the men.”
That night in the captain’s cabin, your small group discusses Long John’s suggestion.
“If I wait any longer, the whole crew will turn on me,” the captain warns.
“You’re right. I sense it, too,” Trelawney says. “And I don’t know if Silver can even control his men.”
“It’s best to do as he says,” the doctor adds. “We may risk them finding the treasure, but at least we’ll be in a better position to defend ourselves with fewer pirates on board.”
The doctor’s plan sounds good. If you stay on board, maybe you can help your small group keep control of the ship. On the other hand, if you sneak ashore with Long John’s men, you might be able to find the treasure before they do. What will you choose to do?
Stay aboard the ship.
Sneak ashore.
You’ve traveled all this way in search of treasure, and now you don’t want to be left behind. Long John and his men hope to find the treasure, and you plan to look for it too.
Captain Smollett assigns twelve men to go ashore with Long John. They are all thought to be loyal to Long John, except maybe Tom. That leaves Israel Hands and five other pirates on board with the seven in your group. But since you’re about to sneak away, your group is soon to be six.
Two small boats are prepared. A tarp covers the front of each one. Before the men load onto these boats, you crawl under the first boat’s tarp and hide.
You feel the boat drop into the water. It sways with the waves, and you hear the men grunt as they pull at the oars. You stay hidden until you feel the bottom of the boat scrape against sand.
You crawl from your hiding spot, leap into the water, and splash your way to land.
“Jim!” Long John shouts after you.
You ignore him as you run along the shore and dart into the nearest thicket.
You run through a marshy tract of willows and bulrushes. As you get even farther inland, the ground rises and is drier, dense with trees. In the distance, the Spyglass Hill peeks above the forest top.
You let your pace slow, and you eventually stop. You need to explore the island, and it would be much easier with a compass.
If you have a compass, click here.
If you do not, click here.
You pull out Captain’s compass from your pocket and watch its pointer spin until it finds due north. The ship is anchored at the southern end of the island, so you don’t want to move in that direction.
From what you remember of the map, the treasure is somewhere near the Spyglass, the hill in the center of the island.
Using the compass as your guide, you walk north. But soon the land gets too hilly, and you are forced to go northwest.
Suddenly, you hear a shriek in the distance. A cloud of birds zooms by overhead. Was it man or animal that made the noise?
You stop to listen.
A moment later, another scream breaks the silence. This time, it’s much closer—and you’re sure it’s human. It sounds as if something terrible is happening. And not very far from you!
Fear creeps up inside you. You begin to run as fast as you can.
Click here to continue.
Without a compass, you’re not sure which direction you’re moving. But you remember from the map that the treasure is somewhere near the Spyglass, the hill in the center of the island.
You walk straight ahead until the land gets too hilly. Then you are forced to go left. You continue onward for what must be hours.
Suddenly, a cloud of birds takes flight up ahead. What scared the birds away? Are the pirates near?
You stop to listen, and you hear someone speak. The voice is too far away to understand clearly, but it sounds like Long John.
Then there’s another voice, maybe Tom’s. He’s the one sailor you don’t know whether or not to trust.
The voices grow louder as Long John and Tom get closer and closer. Long John is dangerous, and there might be other pirates in the area. So you wonder if you should flee. Yet, this is also a chance to hear what Tom has to say. If you hide and listen, you might even find out which side Tom is on. What will you choose to do?
Flee.
Hide.
&n
bsp; It doesn’t matter which side Tom is on. Long John is far too dangerous for you to take any chances. You turn and make a mad dash for safety.
You hardly get ten strides before you run into a wall of flesh: one of Long John’s men. He grabs you by the wrists.
“I found Jim!” the man shouts.
“Bring ’im here,” Long John answers.
The man’s hands are big enough to hold both of your wrists in just one of his fists. As he drags you through the woods, you scream for help.
“You make another peep, and I’ll break your arms,” the pirate warns.
So you choose to remain quiet until you reach Long John and Tom. The two men are red-faced, as if they have been arguing.
“What are you planning on doing with the boy?” Tom asks.
“Depends on your answer,” Long John replies.
“Well, to be honest, I’d sooner lose my hand than turn from my duty—”
Before Tom finishes, a human shriek echoes off the surrounding hills.
“What was that?” Tom asks, looking horrified.
“That?” Long John says with a smile. “Oh, I reckon that was someone else I couldn’t trust.”
More swiftly than you can imagine, Long John swings his crutch. It catches Tom on the forehead, and he flies backward into some bushes.
With Tom down and out, Long John turns to you. “Sorry you had to see that, lad.” There is true sadness in his eyes as he says his next words. “I wish I could spare you, Jim. You’ve been a good cabin boy, but you’re a bit too trustworthy for pirating.”
After a long sigh, he turns and begins to hop away. He pulls out a whistle from his pocket. He blows a shrill tweet, which must be a signal to the rest of his men.
“Make it quick and painless,” he says to the pirate who found you.
You feel a sharp pain in your side. And then you feel nothing, not ever again.
Try again.
You need to know if Tom is on your side. If he is, he could help even the odds against Long John and his men. You crawl under the nearest bush and hide, as silent as a mouse, while the two men approach. You can’t fully hear what they’re staying until they get very close to your spot.
“... Tom, if you wish to save your neck, my mates will want to know which side you’re on,” Long John says. “Ours or theirs?”
“Silver, I thought you were an honest man,” Tom replies. “But I’d sooner lose my hand than turn from my duty—”
Before Tom finishes, a human shriek echoes off the surrounding hills.
“What was that?” Tom gasps, looking horrified.
“That?” Long John says with a smile. “ Oh, I reckon that was someone else I couldn’t trust.”
More swiftly than you can imagine, Long John swings his crutch. It catches Tom on the forehead, and he flies backward into some bushes.
Tom is down and out so suddenly that you don’t have time to react—and that’s probably a good thing. As you lie in your hiding spot, heavy footsteps come from behind you.
Long John turns toward the sound. “You can come out now. I won’t be needing your help with good ol’ Tom here.”
You hear a laugh. Then a pair of boots stomps past. Long John pulls a whistle from his pocket. He blows a shrill tweet, which must be a signal to his pirates. Then he and his man head back toward the beach.
Between Tom and the scream you heard, two men have just died. The odds now stand at more than a dozen pirates against you and six others.
You didn’t think Long John would kill people. He seemed so pleasant when you met him. Now, you fear for your life.
You crawl from your hiding place. You peek your head over the bushes to make sure Long John is out of sight. Then you turn and run as fast as you can.
Go to the next page.
As you race along, you notice the land changing. It slopes upward and grows even thicker with trees. You draw near to the foot of a little hill, and you dash up it.
Suddenly, something leaps out in front of you. You can’t tell whether it’s a bear or an ape! All you know is that it’s dark and shaggy.
You can try to avoid it by changing direction, either left or right. Of course, who knows what will happen if you do? Or you can run straight at the shape. Perhaps you will scare it away. What will you choose to do?
Dart left.
Dart right.
Run straight.
The doctor’s right. With most of the pirates going ashore, staying on board is the wisest option. Besides, even if those pirates search for the treasure, it will be nearly impossible to find without the map.
Two boats are prepared. Captain Smollett assigns twelve men to go with Long John. They are all thought to be loyal to him. That leaves Israel Hands and five other pirates aboard with the seven in your group.
As the pirates get into their small boats, the captain sends the three sailors he trusts back to his cabin. They are told to arm themselves with pistols.
Leaning over the ship’s rail, you watch the two small boats bob on the waves. The men in them grunt as they pull at the oars. Slowly they make their way to shore. Once there, they drag the boats onto the sandy beach.
When you turn from the island, you see Livesey, Trelawney, and Smollett whispering together. You also see four pirates, with their cutlasses drawn, creeping toward your friends. “Look out!” you warn.
Your friends look up and notice that they’re about to be attacked. They draw their weapons just as the pirates strike. The clang of swords rings out.
“Get to my cabin,” the captain shouts.
“Go on, Jim,” the doctor calls.
As fast as you can move, you dart around the fray and into the captain’s cabin. Outnumbered, your friends hurry into the cabin behind you. Before you can safely close and lock the door, the pirates burst in, with blades ready to strike.
That’s when the three trusted sailors enter the battle. They have pistols drawn, and they fire.
Bang! Bang!
Two pirates crumple to the ground.
The sailors pull out their swords and charge. The pirates back out of the cabin as the sailors attack. One of your rescuers slams the cabin door shut and bolts it.
Livesey, Trelawney, and the captain each grab a musket. The three sailors quickly reload their pistols. All the men grab a powder horn full of gunpowder and a bag of shot, preparing for a battle.
“What do we do now?” Livesey asks.
“The pirates are only armed with swords,” Trelawney says. “And now we outnumber them! Surely we can take the ship.”
“Swords are as good as pistols in close quarters,” Smollett says. “There’s an extra boat if we want to escape to the island.”
The men look to you. This is your adventure, and they want to know what you think. Should you stay and fight for the ship? You will need the Hispaniola to sail home. Or should you escape to the island? That’s where the treasure is, and Livesey has the map. What will you choose to do?
Fight.
Escape.
“We should stay and fight,” you say. “We have guns, and the pirates don’t.”
The men nod in agreement.
You listen as they plan their attack. The three sailors armed with pistols will go first. Once they’ve fired their guns, Livesey, Trelawney, and Smollett will attack. They will keep the pirates at bay with their muskets while the sailors draw their swords. Your job is to help anyone who gets wounded.
It’s a good plan, and everyone is determined to win the ship. As soon as you’re all ready, the three trusted sailors burst out the cabin door.
That’s when you see it: the cannon at the ship’s bow. While you were planning your attack, the pirates must have aimed the cannon right at the cabin.
You see a brilliant
flash of light and hear a loud boom! Then your world goes black.
Try again.
“We should escape,” you say. “The pirates won’t leave without the treasure. And since Livesey has the map, we’ll be able to find it before they do.”
You don’t know what will happen after that, but there is something else that you remind the men about. “The cannon at the ship’s bow,” you note. “The pirates might be aiming the cannon at us right now.”
“Good point,” Trelawney says.
The captain adds, “We’ll stand a better chance against that cannon out at sea than we would here.”
“From looking at the map, there’s a small fort on the eastern edge of the island,” Livesey says. “We could make that our base.”
In the back of the ship, outside the stern port, the captain’s rowboat hangs. Your group loads it with all the food and weapons you can find in the captain’s cabin. Then the boat is lowered into the water.
The men pull gently at the oars so as not to make a sound. You are about one hundred yards from the ship when one of the pirates finally notices you.
“They’re off the starboard bow!” you hear him shout.
Then you see the four pirates gather at the railing. They quickly discuss something before disappearing.
“Trelawney,” the captain says. “Are you a good shot with that musket?”
Trelawney nods.
“Then prepare to fire as soon as you see them rolling the cannon up to the rail,” the captain orders. “The rest of you, row as if your lives depend on it.”
The men dig in with the oars, and the boat lurches forward. A moment later, you see the cannon poke above the ship’s railing. The pirates are beside it.
“Aim for the man at the fuse,” the captain says.