by Blake Hoena
“Now, Jim, I’ve always liked you, I have,” Long John says. “That Captain Smollett is a fine seaman but stiff on discipline. Livesey and Trelawney are true gents, but I’ve always favored you, lad.”
The way Long John talks about your friends makes it sound as if they are still alive.
“So I ask you this, thinking of what’s best for you, have you come to join us?” Long John asks.
“Well,” you say, feeling bold, “if I’m to choose, I have a right to know what’s what, and why you’re here, and where my friends are.”
“I suppose that’s your right,” Long John agrees. “During the night, Doctor Livesey came to us with a flag of truce. He tells us that the ship’s gone, which we didn’t know till then, and he wanted to strike a bargain for seeing to your safety, should I find you.”
The four pirates listen in on the conversation and appear to grow restless.
“I don’t know what you two are going on about,” one of the pirates says. “But I says we kill the lad.”
Long John turns and scowls at the pirate. “Avast, there!” Long John curses. “It’s up to me who dies and who lives.”
“He’s right,” another pirate chimes in. “We should kill the boy. He’s caused us enough trouble.”
“But the boy’s worth more to us as a hostage,” Long John says. “In case Smollett and his crew take possession of the ship, we have something to bargain with.”
“Silver, we’re tired of you and your bullying of us,” a third pirate says.
“I’m cap’n here,” Long John says, “because I’m the best man by a long sea-mile. And you’ll obey.”
There is a long pause as the four pirates glance at each other.
“I think it’s time to give it to him,” one of them says.
“Aye,” another adds.
One of the pirates reaches into his pocket and pulls out a crumpled scrap of paper. He hands it to Long John. You watch it unfurl in his palm. A black spot colors the middle of the paper.
“So this is how it’s going to be?” Long John says, looking from man to man.
“Because of you,” one of the braver pirates says, “we don’t have the treasure. And now we don’t have our ship. You’ve bungled everything.”
The four pirates finger the hilts of their cutlasses. Sweat drips down Long John’s brow.
The pirates look as if they mean to kill Long John. And if they kill him, surely you will be next. It is four against two, and Long John has just one leg while you are young. There is no way you can defeat the pirates in a fight. Maybe you can bargain with them for your lives. You know where the ship is, and they don’t. Or maybe you should wait to see what Long John does. He knows these men better than you. What will you choose to do?
Tell the pirates where the ship is.
See what Long John does.
Long John is about to say something to the pirates, but you interrupt him. “I know where the ship is!”
Everyone, including Long John, turns to you.
“You shouldn’t have told them that,” he whispers.
One of the pirates grabs you by your shirt collar. “Where is it?” he shouts as he shakes you. “And where’s my mate, Israel?”
“Hands off the lad,” Long John commands.
But the other three pirates take hold of him. They wrestle him to the ground.
The pirate holding you draws a knife. “Long John can’t help you, lad,” he says. “Tell us where the ship is.”
He shakes you violently, and you know that you have no choice.
“It’s off the western shore,” you confess. “I beached it there.”
He tosses you onto the ground, next to Long John.
“Now what should we do with them?” one of the pirates asks.
“If Long John likes the boy so much, I think they should meet Davy Jones together,” another pirate says.
The pirates move quickly. You do not have time to react. Thankfully, they end your life fast.
Try again.
You let Long John speak. After all, he knows these men. He might find the right words to say.
“Well, mates,” he says with a smirk. He digs into a pocket and pulls out a familiar piece of paper. “If I bungled things so badly, then how come I have this?” He throws the treasure map at the feet of the pirates.
They leap upon it like cats on a mouse. It is passed from hand to hand, one tearing it from another.
“Mighty pretty,” one pirate says. “How did you come by it?”
“Livesey used it to bargain for Jim’s safety,” Long John says. “Now who here’s cap’n of this lot?”
“Silver!” the four pirates cry in excitement. “Long John forever! Long John for cap’n!”
Smiling, Long John turns to you and whispers, “Lad, I know that you know where the ship is. But let’s keep that a secret, so we still have something to bargain with.” He winks at you.
When the excitement finally dies down, you follow Long John into the shack. Inside, a fifth pirate leans against one of the walls. He looks pale, and you see blood on his shirt.
“I’m not sure he’s going to make it,” Long John tells you. “We have a long trek ahead of us tomorrow.”
Both of you find spots to lie down and rest. It has been a long night, and it will be light out all too soon.
You are awakened when you hear a familiar voice shouting, “Ahoy! Here’s the doctor.”
You leap to your feet and rush to the fort’s entrance. Sure enough, you spy Livesey.
He looks in your direction but says nothing. Only nods. Yet you can see the relief in his eyes. He is glad to know you are safe.
“You, doctor! Top o’ the morning to you, sir!” Long John says. “Your patient is inside.”
The doctor goes and attends to the injured pirate in the shack while you wait outside impatiently.
After he finishes, the doctor addresses Long John. “Now that’s done, I wish to have a talk with Jim, please.” And he nods in your direction.
“Aye, go ahead,” Long John says.
Livesey takes you to the side, away from any of the pirates.
“Jim, where have you been?” the doctor asks. “We were worried that the pirates might have killed you.”
You quickly tell him why you disappeared, and you let him know about the ship.
“The ship!” the doctor exclaims.
“Yes, she lies to the west,” you say. “I beached her.”
“And I found Ben Gunn,” he says. “I—” But before he can say anything more, Long John approaches.
“You best be going,” Long John says to the doctor. “My mates are getting restless to be after that treasure, now that they know I have the map.”
“And what of Jim?” the doctor asks.
“I’ll keep the boy safe with me,” Long John says. “My mates view him as a hostage, in case you attempt to leave us on this island. I don’t think they’re likely to let him go just yet.”
Livesey says goodbye to you and departs the fort.
“Jim,” Long John says, “we’re to go treasure hunting. Best you stick close to me. My mates aren’t exactly trustworthy, if you get my drift.”
After a quick breakfast, you, Long John, and the five pirates set out to look for the treasure. You are a motley crew. Your clothes are worn and dirty. The pirates each have a cutlass dangling from their sides. Each of you also carries picks and shovels and food for a midday meal.
As you walk, Long John pulls out the map. On the backside are scribbled instructions.
Skeleton Island E.S.E. and by E.
Tall tree, Spyglass shoulder, bearing a point to the N. of N.N.E.
Ten feet.
“What do you suppose they mean?” Long Jo
hn asks.
The pirates just shrug their shoulders. But as they walk through the forest, they start pointing at every tall tree they see.
“Is that it?” one says, pointing at a fifty-foot pine.
“No, it’s that one,” another says, pointing at an even taller tree.
Then one of the pirates screams as he points to yet another big pine. “There!”
Lying next to the tree is a human skeleton, with a few shreds of clothing. The skeleton is laid out flat on the ground with its feet pointing in one direction and its hands, raised above its head like a diver’s, pointing exactly in the opposite direction.
“It doesn’t look natural, him lying there like that,” one of the pirates says.
Long John takes out his compass. “That’s because Cap’n Flint put him there,” he says. “This skeleton’s a pointer. His hands point east and a little bit to the south. His feet point west, and a little bit to the north.” Long John looks at you. “Which direction do you think we should go, lad?” he asks.
Should you go east, the direction the hands point, or west, the direction the feet point? What will you choose to do?
Go east.
Go west.
With the odd instructions on Cap’n Flint’s map, one direction seems as good as the next. So why not go west? You tell Long John to go in the direction of the feet.
As you trek through brush and over rocky hills, the land slants downward. You walk for what feels like hours under the hot sun. The pirates begin to grumble, and Long John snarls at them several times to keep them marching.
In the middle of the afternoon, you break through the forest and step onto a sandy beach. To your horror, you see the Hispaniola directly in front of you.
“Well, she ain’t made of gold,” one pirate says, “but she’s a treasure alright.”
“Now that we know where the ship is,” another pirate says, “I reckon we don’t need our hostage.”
Three pirates take a hold of Long John. They wrestle him to the ground. A fourth pirate tosses you onto the ground, next to Long John.
“Now what should we do with them?” one of the pirates asks.
“If Long John likes the boy so much, I think they should meet Davy Jones together,” another pirate says.
They move quickly. You do not have time to react. Thankfully, they end your life fast.
Try again.
You tell Long John, “Go in the direction the hands point, east.”
“Say,” Long John replies, “it looks like the hands are pointing right in the direction of Skeleton Island. That’s the small island just off the southern tip of Treasure Island. That seems to fit what it says here on the map.”
You and the pirates continue your march with the hot sun beating down on you.
As you walk, you ask Long John, “Who was that skeleton back there?”
“One of Cap’n Flint’s crew,” Long John says. “I believe it was Allardyce. He was one of the men who hauled the treasure ashore. Cap’n Flint killed every man that helped him bury his treasure. That way, only he knew where it was hidden.”
The land begins to slope upward, and soon you stand on a high plateau. From this viewpoint, you can see over the treetops, all the way to Skeleton Island. As you look in the other direction, the Spyglass rises above you.
Long John pulls out his compass and looks toward the Spyglass. “There are two tall trees that stand above the rest.” He points toward one of them. “The tallest is that pine directly between us and the Spyglass, and there’s another in line with that ledge along the hill’s northern slope.” Long John looks at you. “Which one do you think we should go to?” he asks.
Should you go to the tallest tree or the tree in line with the ledge? What will you choose to do?
Move toward the tallest tree.
Move toward the other tree.
Cap’n Flint’s directions say “tall tree,” so that’s what you decide. You tell Long John to pick the tallest tree.
“A sound decision,” he says with an approving nod.
You climb down the plateau and head toward the tallest tree.
It’s the middle of the afternoon before you break through the forest and see the tall tree along the slopes of the Spyglass. From where you stand, the tree isn’t any taller than the rest of the trees in the area. It only looked taller from a distance because it’s part of the way up the Spyglass. This was the wrong way!
“Silver, if you lead us astray again,” one of the pirates declares, “it’ll be the end of you and the lad, too.”
The other four pirates nod in agreement.
Luckily, you can see the other tree from where you stand. And from this point, looking up at the Spyglass, you notice how the ledge you saw earlier looks as if it could be the hill’s shoulder.
Click here to continue.
“Let’s follow the tree that’s in line with the ledge on the Spyglass’s northern slope,” you tell Long John. “It makes the hill look like it has a shoulder.”
“Yeah, if its peak were the head,” Long John agrees with an approving nod.
Go to the next page.
It is an easy walk, as the way lies a little downhill. The tree turns out to be a giant—a red trunk as wide as a cottage, with a shadow in which you all can rest, away from the sun. But it is not the size of the tree that excites the pirates. It is the knowledge that thousands of pounds of gold lie buried somewhere nearby.
Long John appears to be growing nervous. He keeps glancing at his companions warily, and they act almost crazed with the thoughts of treasure.
According to the instructions scribbled on the map, the treasure should be just beyond the tree. The men dash forward.
Suddenly, not ten feet further, they stop. A low cry arises from them. Silver doubles his pace, pushing hard with the foot of his crutch.
The next moment you and he come to a complete halt. Before you is a large hole, dug a long while ago. In the hole are the shaft of a pick and the boards of several cases. On one of the boards, it says, Walrus, the name of Flint’s ship. Someone has already found the treasure!
“Jim,” Long John whispers to you, “follow me and stand by for trouble.”
He begins to move quietly around the hole, putting it between you and the pirates.
One after another, the five pirates turn to Long John. Disappointment and hate fill their eyes.
“Mates,” one of the pirates says, “there’s two of them alone there; one’s got just one leg and the other’s just a boy.”
“Let’s kill ’em,” another pirate says, “and be done with this farce.”
They draw their cutlasses and creep toward you. Long John grabs his sword and pushes you behind him.
Just then, there’s the crack! crack! crack! of musket fire. Two pirates fall; the other three turn and run.
From behind some nearby trees, you see the doctor, Ben Gunn, and one of the sailors, all holding muskets.
“Doctor,” Long John proclaims, “you came in the nick of time. I kept Jim safe, as I promised.” He turns to the scruffy figure of Ben.
“Is that you, Ben Gunn?” Long John says. “Well, you’re a nice one to see, to be sure.”
“I’m Ben Gunn, I am,” Ben replies, wriggling like an eel in his nervousness.
You are amazed to watch Long John. Not days ago, you would’ve sworn he was out to kill you. But today, he worked to save your life, and now he is all friendly with Ben.
The doctor isn’t fazed by this change in the pirate. He forces Long John to march forward at the end of a musket, as he leads all of you toward Ben’s cave.
Livesey tells you what he couldn’t risk the pirates hearing at the fort. When he found Ben, Ben said he’d already dug up Flint’s treasure and moved it. So Livesey gave the map to
Long John; it was useless.
“It took me nearly three years to find it,” Ben says with a laugh. “Now I’m rich! Rich! Rich!”
“By thunder!” Long John booms. “You played me.”
“Sorry about that, Silver,” the doctor says. “I couldn’t trust you, and I still don’t. But since we knew where the treasure was, we no longer needed the map. All we needed was the ship, and Jim took care of that for us.”
The doctor pats you on the shoulder. You smile up at him proudly.
“Ah,” Long John says, “it were fortunate that I had Jim. You would’ve left old John behind otherwise.”
As you reach Ben’s cave, you see Trelawney standing by it, leaning on a musket. “Jim!” he cries. “The doctor said you were safe. Good to see you.”
Inside the cave, you find more gold and treasure chests than you could have imagined. Coins spill onto the floor and fill every crack.
“We’re rich! Rich! Rich!” Ben giggles.
You don’t ever see the remaining pirates again, and no one wants to go looking for them. Captain Smollett says it’s safest to maroon them here. But on the beach, you leave them as many food supplies as you can spare.
Long John is allowed to go aboard the Hispaniola. But Smollett makes it clear that he will be arrested for piracy once you reach Bristol.
The captain sails the Hispaniola away from Treasure Island and to a beautiful land-locked port. Long John is locked up on the ship. Ben is too afraid to set foot on land, lest he be marooned. The rest of you go ashore.
Natives sell fruits and offer to dive for shells. The sight of so many good-humored faces makes you glad that you will soon be back at the Admiral Benbow.
When you return to the ship, Ben greets everyone with a confession.
“I helped Long John escape,” he tells you. “If Long John had stayed aboard, he would certainly of been our undoing.”