ADULT JIM: For harm there was，waiting to be done，skulking like a rat in the black bilges of men's hearts And it was by chance I discovered it, on the last day of our voyage，when I went down into the hold to get an apple from the barrel.

(JIM goes down to the lower part ofthe stage. He gets an apple，and sits among thejumble oftimber, eating.)

It was just after sundown. My duties were done On deck，the watch was forward，looking out for the island. We knew we'd sight it soon，and all spirits were high. We had a steady breeze and a quiet sea，the only sound was the swish of the waves against our bows，and there in the dark，comfortable and warm，rocked by the gentle motion of the ship，I fell aleep. Only to be woken，moments later, by the sound of voices. The sound of his voice.

(JIM has been faIling asleep during the above. Now, SILVER and DICK enter, SILVER speaking.)

SILVER: No. Not I Flint was captain. I was quartermaster, along of my timber leg. Same broadside I lost my leg，old Pew lost his deadlights. The Walrus，that was Flint's ship，and I've seen her decks running red with blood and fit to sink with gold.

DICK: He was the flower of the flock，Flint was，so I've heard tell.

SILVER: You've heard well right enough，Dick. Flint's men were the roughest crew a float，and afraid of Flint，they were，every mart of them. But Flint his own self was afraid of me. And where's Flint now? Died of rum at Savannah. Where's Pew? Died a eggar—man Where's Billy Bones? Died like a dog with his heart burst. And the rest of Flint's men，where are they? Aboard this ship what's left of them，and not one them with ha'penny piece to buy a shot of grog.

DICK: The way you put it，there ain't much use to the life，if that's what it comes to.

SILVER: It ain't much use for fools，sure enough. But I ain't no fool，and neither are you，Dick. Smart，you are. Smart as paint. I knew that the minute I clapped eyes on you. And that's why I'm talking to you，now，like a man. Here rake a shot of this grog.

DICK: Thanks. I will.

(SILVER hands DICK a flask. DICK takes a swig from it.)

SILVER: Here's how it is with gentlemen of fortune，Dick They live rough and risk swinging，but when a cruise is done，it's hundreds of pounds instead of farthings they have in their pockets Now,the most of them go for rtlm and a good fling，and then it's off to sea again in their shirts But that's not the coHrse I lay ft ain't the making of the money,you see．it's the saving of it that counts Two thousand I made，sailing with Flint That ain't bad for a man before the mast，is it?

DICK: It ain't bad at all，Long John.

SILVER: And do you know where that two thousand might be now? Why my missis has it，and the Spyglass is sold，and the old girl's off to meet me，and I ain't telling a living soul，not even you，Dick，where that place might be. For this is to be my last voyage，and when I'm home from it，I'll set myself up as a gentleman in earnest Do you see now what kind of man it is you'll be signing up to sail along?

DICK: Aye，I do. I'll tell you，Long John，I didn't half a quarter like this job till I had this talk with you. But now here's my hand on it.

(DICK holds out his hand. SILVER clasps it.)

SILVER: A brave lad you are，and a smart one too. Smart as paint! Let's have another swig of that grog to seal our bargain.

(He takes the flask from DICK, drinks, then hands it back to DICK，who drinks. At the same time，ISRAEL HAND and REDCAP enter．SILVER turns to them.)

SILVER: Dick's square, lads.

HANDS: We knew Dick was square. Didn't we，Redcap?

REDCAP: Yes. He's no fool，is Dick. But what we want to know, Barbecue，is how long are we going to stand off?

HANDS: That's right. I've had enough of that captain, for one．I want to get into that cabin. I want my hands on his brandy and his wine.

SILVER: Your two heads ain't much account，and never was. But I reckon you're able to hear, well enough，and maybe understand what I say．And what I say is，we'll stand off till give the word!

REDCAP: And when'll that be?

SILVER: The last moment I can manage，that's when. It's not us that has the map. It's that there Squire or the Doctor, and I mean to have them to find the treasure for us，and ship it aboard. So what I say is this. We'll go along with them sweet and gentle till the treasure's stowed Andthen —lether rip!

REDCAP: That's the tune I like. Let her rip!

HANDS: Dead men don't bite.

DICK: All of them?

SILVER: All that ain't with us．

HANDS: And the boy? Him as you seem to be so fond of? He's the one that done us out of the map，and got old Pew killed into the bargain. Besides，I hate boys Let me deal with him.

SILVER: You leave the boy to me，Israell I'll see that he tells no tales Now．Let's drink to our enterprise.

(SILVER hands round the flask. Each drinks in turn．)

REDCAP: To luck.

HANDS: To old Flint.

DICK: To gold.

SILVER: And here's to Long John，and his last voyage．

(As they drink，ADULT JIM narrates.)

ADULT JIM: So they drank to our deaths，and I sat there，1istening to them，listening to his voice，plotting bloodshed and

murder．It made me sick to my soul—and the next minute，there and then，I was in fear for my life.

SILVER: Dick Jump up，like a sweet lad，and fetch me an apple from the barrel over there.

DICK: Aye，aye，Long John.

(DICK rises and Imoves towards where JIM is hiding.)