Chapter 3 Chapter 2 The Ghost of Captain Brand

It is difficult for us to explain that grandpa did something wrong, but why does grandson have to bear the suspicion of others?But the world has never cared about who to blame, it always likes to push the innocent into the position of the criminal. Barnaby Chu was a kind, honest and obedient boy, but people never allowed him to forget that his grandfather was the notorious pirate Captain William Brand.Brand had had many incredible adventures (if the worthless tales and ballads about him are to be believed) and was finally killed in Jamaica by his own mate, John Marley, captain of the galleon "Adventure" O murdered.

It is said that Captain Bland was always regarded as an honest, respectable and good captain before he was appointed to eliminate the pirates in the South China Sea. At that time, Captain Bland started his adventure by driving a large ship "Monarch" funded and equipped by several famous businessmen in New York.The magistrate then sanctioned the venture, and issued Captain Bland himself a commission.Therefore, in this case, if the unfortunate person still went astray, it must have met a great temptation.In the distant seas, when people have the opportunity to get a lot of money easily, I believe that other people will not be much better than him, and few people will be much smarter than him.

Indeed, those stories and ballads made our captain a most vile and filthy wretch, and if he were, God knows how much he suffered and paid for it.He died in Jamaica, having never returned home since his long and unfortunate voyage on the Monarch, never seeing his wife and daughter, whom he had left in New York for strangers. people take care of. When he reached Port Royal, he made up his mind to be a pirate, and that sealed his fate.At that time, he had two ships on hand, one was the "Monarch" equipped by several famous businessmen when he was in New York; the other was the "Adventure" single-decked galleon he got somewhere in the South China Sea .After returning from the coast of Africa, he spent a month off Jamaica, awaiting news from home.Later, the news finally arrived, but it was the news that disappointed him the most: the colonial authorities were very angry with him, saying that they would bring the pirate to justice and hang him to wash away the shame he had brought to the authorities.At this time, for the captain, the best way is to hide the treasure he has seized far away, and return to New York to find a way to survive after the wind has passed, because it is better than going directly to America with his treasure.If he went to America, he would not only lose his treasure, but also his life.

However things go, in our story, Captain Bland and his gunner, and Captain Mario and his navigator of the Adventure, came ashore with a chest of money and buried it in the on a beach in Port Royal. (Because everyone no longer believed them in this matter) Later, they quarreled over the division of loot and territory, and Captain Mario shot Brand in a rage. The captain's head and the navigator also killed the gunner of the "Monarch" with a single shot, and then the two murderers left the scene, leaving only two poor people lying in a pool of blood on the sunlit beach.Except for the two men who killed their accomplices, no one knows what happened to the money.

It would be a great pity to have such a grandfather die in this way, but it was not Barnaby Chu's fault, and there was nothing he could do about it.Because he wasn't born when his grandfather turned pirate, and even when his grandfather tragically ended his life, he was barely a year old.But when he walked through the school, his classmates would never tire of calling him "Pirate", and sometimes they would sing that cheap ballad: "O, I am Captain Brand, sail! Sail! Oh, I am Captain Brand, sail free. Oh, I am Captain Brand, and I do all evil in land and sea, for I disobey God command, I will sail freely."

What a despicable thing to sing this song to the grandson of such an unfortunate man.Sometimes, little Banal Chu would raise his fists to fight those who bullied him, and whenever he came home with a bruised nose and even bleeding, his poor mother would feel sad for him, sadly cry. Of course, he wasn't teased and tortured all the time, although his friends did treat him like this sometimes, but sometimes they were also good friends, and they often went swimming together on the beach of the East River above Fort George, and the atmosphere was harmonious and friendly.Perhaps he had just had a violent fight with his mates, and perhaps he was walking with them again the next day on the Borey Road; perhaps he also helped them steal an old Dutch farmer's cherries.At this time, he will completely forget the misfortune brought to him by his grandfather.

When Barnaby Chu was sixteen or seventeen, he worked in the counting office of Roger Hartlett, a well-known Indian businessman and Barnall's stepfather. The good man not only got Barnaby a job in the counting office, but soon promoted him.By the time our hero is twenty-one years old, he has made four trips to the West Indies as porter on Hartlett's ship, the Belle Helen.Just turned 21, he was sent there for the fifth time for business activities.Although Barnaby appears to be a location that doesn't matter A clerk, but not really, he was also Mr. Hartlett's secret agent.Mr. Hartlett had no children, so he pinned all his hopes on our hero, regarded him as a grown-up, and soon promoted him to the position of head of counting clerks.Although Barnaby is still very young, he has more worries than the captain.

Mr. Hartlett's agents everywhere, well aware of the mind of a good boss, treated Barnaby with respect and kindness.Especially Mr. Ambrose Greenfield of Kingston, Jamaica; whenever Barnaby came to Kingston, he always gave him the best hospitality he could. So much is said about the history of the protagonist. Without this background knowledge, it will be difficult for us to understand the gist of the thrilling adventure stories he encountered as an adult, nor will we understand the logic that led to the outcome of the matter. Let me now relate a peculiar adventure which Barnaby had on his fifth voyage to the West Indies!

At the time, he had been living in Kingston for almost four weeks.He lived in the home of a widow named Saint Anne Boles.A decent, dignified, respectable widow, with three delightful daughters alone.Her apartment is well-appointed, clean and tidy, making her feel comfortable and cozy. Barnaby was sipping coffee one morning in loose cotton drawers and slippers.It's the customary attire in this country, where people try to cool off when drinking coffee.At this moment Miss Eliza, the widow's youngest daughter, came up and handed him a note.She said it was left at the door by a stranger who left without waiting for your reply.One can imagine Barnaby's surprise when he opened the note and saw its contents!The note reads:

"Mr. Barnaby Chu: Sir, though you don't know me, I know you.I want to tell you that I hope you can go to Prati's Bistro on Harbor Street at eight o'clock next Friday night.At that time, if someone tells you: "The Monarch has entered the port", you just follow him, and you will find that this will bring you unlimited benefits.Please keep this note, sir, and give it to the person who said it to you, so that you can be identified. " That's what it says on the note, without any address or signature. Mr. Barnaby's first reaction was one of extreme astonishment; then he thought it might be some good man in town who was playing a wild, witty joke on him, and it was just a joke.He asked Miss Eliza what the messenger looked like, and that was all Eliza could tell him: The messenger was a tall, strong man with a red scarf around his neck and brass-embellished shoes. Buckles, and a long braid in the back for a sailor-like look.But god, in a bustling seaport, that description doesn't make any sense at all, because it's full of people in that attire.Barnaby put the note into his wallet, and decided to show it to his good friend, Mr. Greenfield, in the evening, for an idea or suggestion.Mr. Greenfield, after reading the note, thought as he did, that some joker must be trying to fool Barnaby, and that it was nothing more than a prank, and nothing serious.

However, although Mr. Barnaby affirmed his idea that it was a hoax, he was still full of curiosity about it, so he made up his mind to find out what was going on.He arrived at the Prati Bistro on time as the note said. Prati's Tavern looks very nice and is well known locally for the best tobacco and the best and best rum.Behind the tavern there is a garden that extends to the front of the port.The garden has lots of palm trees and ferns and lots of flowers.There were many little tables in the garden, some in little caves, like a New York Vauxhall.There are also some colorful paper lanterns hung on the plants, which are very beautiful.In the evening, gentlemen and ladies would sit under the lanterns and drink lime juice with sugar and water (sometimes a strong drink), and watch the ships go by on the sea in the cool night. Barnaby arrived at the tavern a little earlier than the note had indicated.He walked across the tavern into the back garden and took a seat on the lower ground, near the water.This location is relatively hidden, even if someone comes in, he will not be easily found.Then he ordered some rum and water and a pipe.He sat there, looking coolly around, to see if there really was some prankster happily reaping the fruits of his work, admiring his disarray. It was a very comfortable place, with the wind blowing from land to sea, the rustling of the palm leaves overhead, and the high moon in the full moon.The sea water gently slaps on the stones at the bottom of the hillside of the garden, which sounds very crisp at night, and the moonlight shines on the junction of the port and the sea, making it shimmering.There are many ships moored in the port, and one of them is a huge black warship that looks so abrupt that people can't help but look at it a few more times. The protagonist waited for nearly an hour while smoking a cigarette and tasting wine. His eyes were fixed on the garden, but he did not find any person related to that note. Half an hour had passed since the time specified in the note. Suddenly, a small boat appeared in the night and stopped by the garden. Then, three or four men went ashore.Without saying a word, they chose a nearby table and sat down, ordered rum and drank quietly.After sitting for about five or six minutes, Barnaby noticed that these men were watching him curiously, when suddenly one of them, who seemed to be their leader, called out to him: "Hey, friend, why don't you come and have a drink with us? " "Oh, no," replied Barnaby humbly, "I've had enough to drink, and I'm going to be drunk." "But," said the stranger, "I think you'd better come and have a drink with us! If I'm not mistaken, you are Mr. Barnaby Chu, and I'm here to tell you that the Sovereign is in port. " Barnaby was surprised that they had not expected the words to be spoken in this way.He once thought that he might hear the connection signal in a very secret environment, but he never thought that this sentence came from a stranger who landed mysteriously, and said it in such a serious way.He could hardly believe his ears, his heart was pounding.If he had been more mature and rational, I believe he would definitely have rejected this adventure, instead of blindly entering this adventure with neither the beginning nor the end as he is now.But he's only 21, and he's adventurous by nature, so he wants to try anything that's uncertain or dangerous, so he replied with a playful lightheartedness (probably only God knows how he put it on in that situation) : "Okay, if the 'Monarch' does come into port, I'll have a drink with you if you're so kindly invited." So he came to their table with a cigarette and sat down, while he smoked, While pretending nothing had happened. "Okay, Mr. Barnaby Chu," as soon as Barnaby sat down, the person who spoke to him first said to him in a low voice, as if afraid of being heard, "well, Mr. Barnaby Chu, I Calling you by your first name because you don't know me, but I know you. Glad you're a real man, and you're here even though you don't know what's going on, it shows you're a Man of courage. Tonight, you deserve the fortune that befalls you. But before we move on to the next step, let me see that note." "Very good," said Barnaby, "I'm keeping it, you see." He took the mysterious note he had received two days earlier from his wallet, opened it, and handed to that person.Another person picked up the note, approached the candle on the table that the hotel had prepared for guests to smoke, and began to read the note. For a minute or two Barnaby looked him over.The man was tall and strong, with a red scarf around his neck and brass buckles adorning his shoes.Barnaby Chu speculated that perhaps he was the one who had handed the note to Miss Eliza that day. "Fine, that's it," said the man after reading the note, "and since we've seen it, I'll burn it just to be safe."As he spoke, he rolled up the note and held it over the flame of the candle. "Now," he went on, "I will tell you why I have come here. I have been sent this time to ask you if you are a true man in charge of your destiny, and would you like to come aboard with us ?Let's not waste time if we want, let's go now, because the demon is already on the coast of Jamaica. Although you don't know who this demon is, if he is ahead of us, then we may not find us I'm looking for something. If you don't want to, I'll go right away, and I swear I'll never bother you again. So, young man, just tell me what you think, are you willing to take the risk?" If the protagonist hesitates, but the hesitation time is not long; it cannot be said that he is not afraid at all, but even if he was afraid, it only lasted for a short time.He finally spoke, and when he spoke he tried to keep his tone calm and composed. "I'm sure I'm a brave man and I'll go with you," he said. "If you want to hurt me, I can take care of myself. If I can't take care of myself, there will be something to take care of me." Then, he lifted the flap of his jacket pocket, revealing the butt of a pistol.It was on him before he set off tonight. After hearing this, the man burst out laughing, "Come on," he said, "you are indeed courageous, and I like your spirit. In this world, I don't think there is anyone who cherishes you more than I do." Good intentions. If you want to use that guy, it should not be used on our friends, but should be used on those who are more evil than the devil. Let's go! Let's go now." So, he paid all the drinks for everyone, stood up with those who had been silent all the time, and walked towards the boat parked by the garden together. It was then that Barnaby saw that it was a fairly large speedboat, with ten negroes at the oars, and two lanterns and three or four shovels hanging from the stern. It was indeed the captain who had just spoken to Barnaby.It was not until he was in the boat that Barnaby and the others followed.No sooner had they been seated than the boat set sail, and the Negroes rowed swiftly out of the harbor, and soon the Prati's Tavern was out of sight. After leaving the shore, no one spoke, and everyone remained silent like ghosts.Many thoughts flashed through Barnaby Chu's mind, and they were all terrible: At that time, many people were conned into sailors, and then they were never heard from again.As for the others, they didn't seem to want to talk either. It seemed that because he had already agreed to participate in their actions, there was no need to talk to him. For about an hour, no one spoke, and under the command of the expedition leader, the boat crossed the bay and seemed to be heading towards the mouth of the Gobra River.Yes, this is their destination.It was not long before Barnaby saw land, with a long row of coconut trees (he knew their shape very well).In the faint moonlight, we are getting closer and closer to the coconut tree.When they were approaching the mouth of the river, they found that the tide was very rough, and the boat was still some distance away from the shore, so the blacks rowed harder, and the tide beat the boat, making a splashing sound.In this way, they go upstream along the land or the small islands full of mangroves.Still no one spoke, no one said where their destination was, and no one said what kind of action they were taking. At last they approached the shore.In the dark night, with the rushing sound of the rushing tide; the rich smell of earth and marsh in the air; the moonlight and stars twinkling in the sky, all this was strange, silent and mysterious, and Barnaby felt as if he was in the dark. dream. The oarsmen paddled vigorously, and the boat sailed slowly through the mangrove thickets and into the open water again. Suddenly, the leader of the adventure team yelled, the voice was very harsh, and the black people stopped paddling immediately. Almost at the same time, Barnaby Chu saw another boat coming towards them along the river, following the strong tide.He understood that the captain had stopped his men from rowing because of the boat approaching them. He saw that the other boat was full of men, some of them armed, whose muskets and pistols glinted from time to time, even in the dead of night.Although Barnaby's boat had stopped rowing, the sound of the other party's rowing could still be clearly heard through the silence of the night.It was obvious that the ship was getting closer and closer to them.But Barnaby didn't know what was going on, or whether the men were friends or foes, or what was going to happen. The opposing ship quickly approached Barnaby's ship.A man in the stern ordered the oarsmen to bring the boat to a halt, and he rose.When the boat passed by Barnaby Chu, under the bright moon, he saw clearly his appearance—a tall and strong figure, with a flushed face, wearing a red dress with beautiful lace.In the middle of the boat, there was a box about the size of a medium-sized suitcase, covered with dust.When the two boats converged, the man stood pointing at the box with a fine gold-tipped cane in his hand. "Are you looking for this, Abraham Downing?" When he said this, his facial expression was very ferocious, and Barnaby Chu had never seen such an evil smile in his life. The captain did not answer immediately, remaining as silent as a stone.It wasn't until after the ship passed that he seemed to regain his senses suddenly, and cursed loudly: "Very good, Jack Mario! Very good! Jack Mario! You're ahead of us again, but Next time, it's our turn! William Brand will definitely crawl out of hell and settle accounts with you." He yelled at the boat, but the boat sailed further and further away, and the gentleman on board didn't respond, just laughed and left. On the stern of the other party stood a bald man with a monkey cheek like a villain, holding a gun in his hand.The man grinned, his teeth gleaming in the moonlight, as the boat sailed on the tide into the darkness.He brandished a very large pistol and growled, and Barnaby could hear every word he said: "Just talk big! Boy, I'll send another bullet to the cook's son." However, the gentleman-like man did not know what to say, which stopped him from making a big noise.The ship faded into the darkness, and now Barnaby heard his own boat begin to row again.These people lay on the boat, and no one said a word for a long time. Finally someone spoke: "Where are you going now?" The leader of the expedition seemed to come back to his senses suddenly and found his voice again. "Where are you going?" he growled. "To hell! Where are you going? Wherever you want to go! Where are you going? Go back, that's where we're going!" He cursed loudly until he foamed at the mouth, As if completely insane.Then the niggers started paddling back across the harbor as fast as they could put their oars in deep water. Then they put Barnaby Chu on the shore and went away.Barnaby was bewildered, even shocked, by what had happened, what he saw, and the names he heard.He stood there blankly, motionless, as if he had forgotten everything he was familiar with.Then, like a lost person, he staggered back to his residence along the street. "Jack Mario" is the name of the captain of the "Adventure" who killed his grandfather; and "Abraham Downing" is the name of the gunner of the "Monarch" who was killed with the pirate captain. At that time, the murderers left the bodies of the two men in the scorching sun. The whole affair had not lasted more than two hours, but it seemed as if that time had not been part of Barnaby's life but that of other people.Because the darkness, strangeness, and mystery that filled this place could not belong to him at all. As for the box full of mud, he could only guess what would be inside, only to find out what the box meant. But the protagonist didn't tell anyone about it, nor told anyone what he saw that night, but buried it deeply in his memory.However, this matter was so important that he spent almost all day thinking about it, and was unable to think about other things for many days. Hartlett took up residence here with an agent named Mr. Greenfield.This beautiful brick and stone home is located just outside of town on Mona Road.He has a wife and two daughters at home.The two girls had black hair, black eyes, and showed their white teeth when they smiled. They were always chattering, very lively and lovely.They often invited Barnaby Chu to their family dinners, where he felt very comfortable.He often sat on the balcony with Mr. Greenfield, smoking a cigar and looking at the mountains in the distance, listening to the young girls chatting and laughing or listening to them playing guitar and humming songs.Several times he wanted to tell Greenfield what was weighing on his mind, but after serious consideration he decided not to, so he kept smoking his cigar in a state of deep thought. A day or two before the "Beauty Helen" sailed from Kingston, Barnaby Chu was at work, and Mr. Greenfield came and invited him to his house for dinner in the evening (as this is a tropical area, they usually 11 o'clock eat breakfast, and dinner in the evening when the weather is cool, so as to avoid the heat; not lunch at noon, as in temperate regions.) Mr. Greenfield said: "I will introduce you to the first person who takes your ship to New York. The guest, and his granddaughter, they booked a stateroom and two VIP rooms, and here is their reservation letter. They are Mr. John and Miss Marjorie Mallio. You have heard of Jack Rumors of Captain Mario, Mr Barnaby?" Now I'm sure Mr. Greenfield had no idea that Captain Bland was Barnaby Chu's grandfather and that Jack Mario was his grandfather's murderer.But when he said the name in this way, it was as if Barnaby had been punched in the face. The name, the adventure he had just experienced, the anxiety that had been weighing him down, were like a slap in the head, and it hurt him so much.But, fortunately, he was able to answer this question calmly. He said with a straight face that he had heard of Captain Mario and knew who he was. "Well," said Mr. Greenfield, "if 20 years ago Jack Mario was a reckless, reckless savage, he is now Mr. John Mario, in Germany. Wen County has a lot of estates. Mr. Barnaby, when a man becomes a baron and has a lot of estates (though I heard he has a lot of debts on those estates), people don't think about what he did 20 years ago. They will turn a blind eye. Of course, I heard that his family has always been indifferent to him." After hearing this, Barnaby didn't say a word, just sat there smoking a cigar. So, that night, for the first time, Barnaby Chu sat face to face with the murderer of his grandfather, the cruelest man with the face of a beast he had ever met in his life. The last time he was at the port, he had just glanced at John Mario from afar at night, but now they were sitting close together.Frankly, it was such a wicked face as Barnaby had never seen in his life.It's not that he's ugly, he has a beautiful nose and an elegant double chin, but his eyes are red and dull.He blinked constantly, as if in pain; his lips were thick, purple and protruding; His voice seemed to be stuck in his throat, and anyone who listened to him wanted to clear his throat; his hands were white and fat.Barnaby had never seen such an unpleasant face. Although Mr. John Maliou turns our hero's stomach off, Barnaby, at first sight of his granddaughter, thinks she is the prettiest and loveliest girl he has ever seen.Her skin was delicate and fair, her lips were as red as cherries, her hair was fair, and despite the beautiful white powder she had put on for the feast, Barnaby was still fascinated by her blue, melancholy eyes.What a sweet, shy little thing it is!It seemed that she dared not say a word without Mr. John's permission.Whenever John suddenly spoke to her or glanced at her, she would curl up and shiver secretly.Even when she talks, her voice is so small that you have to try hard to hear; even when she smiles, she will always control herself to see if she is allowed to appear happier. As for Mr. John, he was like a pig, just sitting there chugging and gorging.He hardly said a word to his granddaughter, or Mrs Greenfield, or Barnaby.But his expression was sullen and gloomy, as if to say, "Though the food is hard to swallow, I must eat it, or there will be nothing." What a haughty beast! After dinner, the girl sat in the corner chatting with the two young ladies from the owner's house. It sounded like the atmosphere was much more relaxed.Of course, her tongue was also much more flexible. She kept talking, but she kept her voice down.It wasn't until his grandfather yelled suddenly in a hoarse voice that it was time to go, that she stopped immediately and jumped up from the chair. She looked very scared, as if she had done something wrong and was caught. Barnaby Chu and Greenfield got up and took them to the carriage, where one of Mr. John's servants was waiting for them with a lantern.who's that person?Of course it was the bald, thin-faced villain who had been clamoring to kill the leader of the expedition that night in the port.The light of the lantern fell on his face, and Barnaby Chu recognized him immediately, and at this moment his gaze also rested on Barnaby.Although he didn't recognize Barnaby, he gave him a grin that was so impertinent and presumptuous.To make matters worse, he didn't even touch his hat to greet Barnaby or Mr. Greenfield.As soon as the master and lady got into the carriage, he shut the door hard, climbed into the place next to the coachman, and left without saying a word.But this time he grinned impudently at Barnaby and Mr. Greenfield. It is such two people, the master and the servant are actually the same thing.These two men were the most hateful people Barnaby had ever met, and this impression was further confirmed in the future.However, if everyone knows the tragic end of these two people, then they will definitely stop complaining. The next day, Mr. John Mallio's luggage was sent to the "Beautiful Helen".In the afternoon the wicked bald and thin-faced servant leaped over the boarding plank like a wild animal, followed by two negroes carrying a huge sailor's locker. "What!" he exclaimed suddenly, "you're a cargo clerk? You? Why, I thought you were at least an accountant! Last night you sat down and talked with Mr. on the same level! Oh, It doesn't matter, it's really nice to have a young man of the upper class with vigor as a porter! Come on, young man, do me a favor, and help me arrange the master's cabin on the right side!" His remarks were so offensive that it was unbearable.However, Mr. Barnaby is very refined, and he behaves like a gentleman!Think how hard it is to put up with such a villain, such a loathsome fellow!You can imagine what must have happened to Barnaby's mind at this insolent remark. "You can find the crew," he said, "and he'll guide you into the cabin." Then he turned and walked away, leaving the guy there. When Barnaby entered his cabin, he glanced behind him and found that the guy was still standing there motionless, showing an extremely evil and terrifying expression.Barnaby was thrilled to have one of his enemies snubbed on his journey.Believe that the villain will not forgive him, nor will he forget his willful neglect of himself. The next day John Mallio himself came aboard, accompanied by his granddaughter, and with the wretched servant behind them, and four negroes carrying two trunks, which, though small, looked very heavy.John and his entourage were very concerned about these two boxes, and they watched the people all the way to arrange them properly in the stateroom where John was going to live.When these people passed by Barnaby Chu, he was standing in a large cabin.Although John Mario stared at him a few times, he didn't say a word to him. From his expression, it seemed that he didn't know Barnaby at all.The servant noticed this, and when he saw Barnaby being ignored, he grinned wildly beside him. The girl also saw all this, and her face suddenly became red.As she passed, she looked Barnaby candidly in the eyes, then bowed to him, and smiled the sweetest, most genial smile in Barnaby's eyes.Then she was back to her old self, as if terrified of her performance. On the same day, the "Beauty Helen" set off.As everyone hoped, the sky was clear and beautiful. There were two other passengers on board, one was the president and his wife of a well-known university in a Spanish colonial city.This couple is very kind and worth associating with them.They sat in the big cabin and read for hours.John Malio stayed in the cabin all day, guarding his two large trunks, so it was incumbent upon Barnaby Chu to do most of the care of the young lady.Of course, he was very happy to have such an opportunity, and we can completely guess his excitement and excitement.think about it!What a wonderful thing it is for a 21-year-old young man to spend two weeks with a 17-year-old beautiful lady!As mentioned earlier, the weather has been very clear, under the breeze blowing, the boat galloped smoothly on the sea surface, occasionally shaking slightly.They didn't really have much to do except sit together and look at the blue sea and the blue sky.但是我们可以想象得到，对于巴纳比·楚而言，能够照顾这样一位小姐是一件多么幸福的事情啊！ 但是，不管一个年轻人聪明与否，只要他坠入爱情的漩涡，他的生活就会变成另外一种样子！我们的主人公常常在夜晚时分躺在自己的船舱里辗转反侧，无法入眠。如果能睡着的话，他也想睡着，但是他宁愿这样一直在深夜里瞪着双眼想她，也不愿意闭上眼睛睡觉。 poor guy!他也许知道这只不过是黄粱一梦，用不了多久，一切都会终结。他照顾的人是约翰·马利欧的孙女，是男爵的孙女，而他只不过是一个商船的押货员。 不管如何，事情进展得十分顺利，令人很是欣慰。但是，不幸的事情终于来临了，就在一个晚上，这一切都结束了。当时，他正和那位小姐倚着栏杆眺望远处，看着滚滚的海水穿过薄雾向西流去。天空十分平静，阳光似乎也舍不得离去。整个晚上她都无精打采的，忽然，没有任何开场白，她开始给巴纳比讲起了自己的故事。她说，她和她的祖父要去纽约，然后再从那里去波士顿，与他的堂哥马利欧上尉会面。她的堂哥在当地负责防卫。接着她又说，马利欧上尉是德文郡的继承人，秋天她就要和他结婚了。 可怜的巴纳比，他多么傻呀！其实女孩刚开始提到马利欧上尉的时候，他就知道接下来会是什么了，但是现在她亲自告诉了他，他什么都说不出来，只是站在那里呆呆地盯着大海。他的喉咙又热又干，好像化成了灰烬。后来，她压低声音继续说到，从第一次见到他的时候，她就喜欢上了他，这些天来她非常高兴，她会一直把他当作自己的好朋友。她说她的一生里很少像现在这么快乐，她会把他永远记在心头。 然后，这两个年轻人陷入了沉默。直到最后，巴纳比说话了，他的声音低沉嘶哑。他说马利欧一定是非常幸运的人，如果他处于马利欧上校的位置，他一定也是世界上最幸福的人。说完这些之后，他的头脑就一片混乱，他发现他已经无法控制自己的语言了，继续说到，自己也爱着她，她说得话让他心如刀绞，现在他成了世界上最可悲、最不幸的人。 对于巴纳比说的话，她没有生气，也没有转过头去看他，只是用很低的声音说他不应该这么说，因为这样只能使两个人都痛苦。不管自己愿不愿意，她必须按照祖父的意愿行事，因为他是一个非常可怕的人。 可怜的巴纳比现在只能对她说他全心全意地爱着她，除了她的爱，他不想要任何东西，然而，他现在却是世界上最可怜的人了。 就在这时，可怕的事情发生了，一个藏在他们附近的人突然起身离开，巴纳比·楚看到那个黑影正是约翰·马利欧的那个恶棍仆人，他知道这个恶棍一定会把他听见的所有事情都告诉约翰。 这个恶棍直奔大客舱，可怜的巴纳比立刻傻眼了，他站着那里呆呆地目送着那个人离去，他感觉最后的不幸已经降临在自己的身上了。 女孩并没有看到那个家伙，她仍然靠在栏杆上，巴纳比·楚站在她身边，虽然纹丝不动，但是心里已经乱作一团。他惊惶失措，连呼吸都感到困难了。 他们就这样站着，不知道过了多长时间。突然，约翰·马利欧先生从客舱里跑了出来，连帽子都没有戴，手里举着金头手杖，朝巴纳比和女孩站的地方冲了过来，那个卑鄙的偷窥者紧跟在他的身后，像一个小魔鬼一样咧着嘴冲他们笑。 “你这个小荡妇！”约翰先生刚刚走到他们身边，就开始破口大骂，他的声音非常大，几乎甲板上所有的人都能听见。他一边骂一边挥舞着自己的手杖，好像要打那个女孩。女孩几乎缩在了甲板上，她蹲在地上逃避着约翰先生的手杖。“你这个荡妇！”他恶毒地骂着，“你和这个美国佬在干什么？他连给贵妇人擦鞋都不配，回到你的船舱去，你这个荡妇（他骂的词比刚才更恶毒了），最好在我揍你之前赶快滚回你的房间。” 巴纳比的脑袋迅速转动着，愤怒涌上了心头，似乎要把他完全融化一样。他的绝望、他的爱情、他对这些话的愤怒使他失去了理智，接下来，他的所作所为就像疯子一样，甚至比疯子更为疯狂。他伸手推了马利欧的胸膛，狠狠地把他推了回去。他大声指责马利欧居然用这么嘶哑、可怕的声音威胁一个年轻的小姐，他说他要把他的棍子夺下来，扔到海里去。 约翰先生被他推得踉踉跄跄，连连退了好几步才站稳。他大声咆哮着，向我们的主人公挥舞着手杖，我敢确定，如果不是他的仆人及时把他拉回来，那么他已经打到了巴纳比（上帝会知道出现这样的情况，结果将会怎样）。 “回来！”我们的主人公嗓音沙哑，歇斯底里地喊叫着，“回来，如果你敢用那根破棍打我，我就把你丢到大海里。” 这时，一些船员和客人被这喧哗声和错乱的脚步声所吸引，他们匆忙地跑了过来。曼里船长和大副佛里斯登先生也跑出了船舱。但是，巴纳比还在继续叫骂着，他已经无法控制自己了。 “你是什么东西？”他大声骂道，“居然敢威胁着打我，羞辱我，你以为你是什么东西？你根本不敢打我。你也就只会躲在身后杀人，就像你在哥布拉河杀了可怜的布兰德船长一样，你根本不敢面对面和我决斗！我知道你是谁，知道你是什么东西！” 听到这些话，约翰·马利欧突然像石头一样定住了，他膨胀的眼睛大大地瞪着，眼珠子好像都要爆出来一样。 “这是怎么回事？”曼里船长大叫着和佛里斯登连忙跑到他们面前，“到底发生什么事了？” 但是就像我已经说过的那样，我们的主人公此刻根本无法控制自己的情绪，他的心中积压了太多话，现在只想一吐为快。 “这个该死的恶棍侮辱了这位年轻的女士，”他气喘吁吁地大喊到，“他还威胁我要用手杖打我，但是我知道他是谁，了解他是个什么东西。我知道他船舱里的两只箱子里放着什么东西，我知道他在哪里找到这个箱子，还知道这个箱子属于谁。他在哥布拉河岸上找到了这两个箱子，我要把我知道的一切告诉大家。” 听到这些话，曼里船长用手拍着主人公的肩膀，用力地摇晃着他，让他安静下来。这时的巴纳比都快站不稳了。“你这是在干什么？”曼里船长大喊到，“一个船员居然和我的乘客吵架！赶快回到你的船舱去，没有我的命令不准出来！” 此时，巴纳比多少恢复了一点理智，“但是，他威胁着用手杖打我，船长，”他大喊，“我不会容忍任何人这么侮辱我。” “不论他做了什么，”曼里船长严厉地说到，“服从我的命令，回到你的船舱去，待在那里，没有我的命令不准出来。回到纽约以后，我一定会告诉你的父亲，让他看看你的表现。我决不允许我的船上发生这样的骚乱。” 巴纳比·楚向四周看了一下，发现那个孩子已经不见了。他发狂的时候，根本没有注意到这个女孩是什么时候走的，也不知道她去哪里，至于约翰·马利欧先生，他仍然站在那里，透过灯笼射出的光线，可以看到他死灰一样的脸色。我相信，如果眼光可以杀人的话，我肯定他那恶毒的眼光不知道已经把巴纳比杀死多少回了。 曼里先生抓住巴纳比的肩膀使劲地摇晃着他，终于让那个可怜的孩子恢复了理智。这个不幸的人只好服从船长的命令回到了自己的船舱。关上门后，他衣服也没有脱就躺在了床上，陷入了深深的耻辱和绝望中。 他躺在床上一动不动，双眼呆呆地盯着舱顶，痛苦和绝望不停地折磨着他。不知道过了多长时间，渐渐地，他迷迷糊糊地打起了瞌睡，其实不是睡觉，而是不停地被各种令人讨厌的噩梦围绕着。那些恶梦就好像发生在身边一样，每当他意识有些清晰的时候又陷入了梦境中。 正当游离在这些光怪陆离的怪梦中无法自拔的时候，一声枪响把他从梦中惊醒了。接着传来接二连三的枪声，突然一声巨大的撞击声，船体开始剧烈的震动起来，甲板上到处都是脚步声，听着声音像是都跑到了大客舱。后来，大客舱里开始混乱起来，有人扭打在一起，彼此剧烈地挣扎着。这时，突然传来一声女人的尖叫声，约翰·马利欧先生使出全身力量大声地叫骂道：“你们这些恶棍，你们这些该死的恶棍！”接着，大客舱里又传来一声枪响。 巴纳比立刻跳了起来，抓起挂在床头的手枪冲向了大客舱。此时，客舱内一片黑暗，灯笼也已经被吹灭或者被撞到地上了。黑暗中到处都充满喧嚣、混乱，不时还有女人的尖叫声划过夜空。这些声音偶尔来自普通舱，偶尔来自贵宾舱。巴纳比被两三个在甲板上扭打的人绊了个一跤，枪掉在了地上。当然，他立刻拾起了掉在地上的枪。 他不知道这场骚动意味着什么，但是突然不知从哪里传来了曼里船长的叫骂声：“你们这些该死的海盗，你想掐死我吗？”立刻，他就明白发生了什么事情，他们遭到海盗的袭击了。 他看了看甲板处的楼梯，在那里，有一个比黑夜更加深沉的男人静静地站着。周围一片混乱嘈杂，但是那个身影像雕像一般，仍然纹丝不动。出于本能，巴纳比立刻意识到这肯定是这群魔鬼的头儿。于是，他仍然跪在甲板上，用枪瞄准了黑影的胸部，扣动了板机。 枪声响起，红光闪了一下，借着光线，巴纳比看到了那个印在黑暗中的模样：宽广扁平的脸，死鱼一样的眼睛，瘦骨嶙峋的前额上似乎有一块巨大的血斑。他戴着一个镶了金边的三角帽，胸前垂着一条红色披巾，黄铜钮扣在闪闪发光。很快，这一切又被厚重的黑暗吞噬掉了。 突然，约翰·马利欧先生大叫道：“上帝！是威廉·布兰德！”随即便传来有人重重摔倒在地的声音。 接着，巴纳比的视线又回到了黑暗中那个人影里，他看到那个黑暗、呆滞的身影仍然一动不动地站着，他想也许自己没有射中这个人，或者这个人有超自然的能力，子弹无法对他造成任何伤害。但是，如果巴纳比确实看到了一个幽灵，那么可以说他眼前的这个幽灵如同现实生活中的活人那样清晰。 这是主人公最后的记忆。就在这时，突然有个人重重地敲了一下他的脑袋。立刻，他眼冒金星，脑袋嗡嗡作响，接着便晕了过去。 当巴纳比醒来的时候，他发现自己受到了精心而专业的照顾，头上已经用冷水清洗过了，好像还有一个外科医生在小心地给他包扎绷带。 他不知道发生了什么，过了好久，他才睁开眼睛，看见自己正躺在一个奇怪的船舱里。这里的装修十分精致，墙壁被涂成了白色和金色，屋内挂着一盏灯笼，发出昏黄的光线；正在这时，清晨的第一缕阳光穿破了黑夜，照射到船舱里。两个人正在俯身照顾他，其中一个是黑人，穿着条纹衬衫，头上围着黄色头巾，耳朵上戴着银质耳环；另一个是白人，穿着十分古怪，一看就是外国人的打扮，长长的胡须，耳朵上戴着金质耳环。 那个白人正在细心温柔地照顾着巴纳比的伤口。 这就是巴纳比清醒以后看到的第一眼场景。后来，他记起了发生在自己身上的事情，他的头痛得就像要裂开一样，他闭上眼睛，尽量不让自己大声喊出来。他非常奇怪这到底是什么样的海盗，先把一个人重重地打晕，然后再想方设法救回他的性命，并且还小心谨慎地把他照顾得舒舒服服。 他合上眼睛躺在那里，想努力恢复自己的思维去思考整件事情。那个白人把绷带全部缠到了他的头上，又把绷带缝了起来。他再次睁开眼睛，问自己这是在哪里。 但是正在照顾自己的两个人都没有搭腔，或许他们不想回答，也或许他们不会讲英语，他们只是做了一些手势。那个白人看到他再次苏醒过来，并且能够说话了，于是便点点头，笑着露出了洁白的牙齿。他指了指外面，好像是指远处的会客室。同时，那个黑人拿起了巴纳比的外套，招手请他穿上外套。巴纳比明白，他是想让自己与外面的人见面，便吃力地挣扎着站了起来。黑人帮他穿上外套。这时，他仍然感到头晕目眩，两腿发抖。而此时，船也剧烈地抖动起来，好像遇到了大风浪。 尽管感到头晕目眩，但是他仍然坚持着走到了外面一间漂亮的会客厅里。这里和刚才的房间一样，装饰得十分精美，室内有一张被打磨得十分光亮的桃花心木的桌子，从房间这头一直延伸到那头。桌子上摆着许多水晶瓶子，一个从上方悬垂下来的架子上还摆着许多水晶杯子。 桌子边上坐着一个男人，他的背对着主人公。这个男人穿着一件粗制的水手装厚呢短大衣，脖子上系着一条红围巾。此时，他正抽着烟，两腿伸展，显得十分悠闲舒适。 巴纳比走进来的时候，他便转过身来。在灯笼的光线下，在天窗射进来的明媚的晨光下，我们的主人公看清楚了这个人的样子。他大吃一惊，原来眼前的这个人就是那天晚上带着他穿越金斯顿港口到哥布拉河的那个人。 他平静地看了巴纳比·楚大约一两分钟，然后哈哈大笑。也许当时的巴纳比缠着绷带，再加上看到这个人的时候又非常吃惊，表情显得特别古怪，像个小丑一样。 “呵呵，”那个人说，“你终于醒过来了，看来伤得不是很重，这下我就放心了。你的头现在感觉怎样，我的小主人？” 巴纳比不知道怎么回答，他太吃惊了，再加上头晕眼花，于是在对面坐了下来。那个男人把一杯朗姆酒推到他跟前，然后又从摇摇晃晃的架子上取下一只杯子。 他看着巴纳比把酒杯倒满后，立即开口说道：“我猜你一定觉得昨天晚上发生的事情太恶毒了。嗯，你确实受到了攻击，但是我根本不知道到底是谁打了你的头。你的遭遇让我感到很难过，但是我们还有其他事情要对你说，你一定要相信我，我对你没有恶意，在你离开我们之前一定要相信这一点。” 然后，他又给自己倒了一杯掺水的烈酒喝了下去，继续着他的话题。他说：“你还记得我们在金斯顿的探险吗？你还记得那天晚上我们是如何受阻的？” “当然记得，”巴纳比说，“我永远也不会忘记那个晚上。” “你还记得那天晚上杰克·马利欧的船经过我们身边时，我对那个恶棍说的话吗？” “至于这个，”巴纳比说，“我不知道自己该说记得还是不记得，但是如果你告诉我的话，我也许可以回答这个问题。” “哦，我是指这个，”那个人说，“我当时说，那个恶棍又占了上风，但是下一次该轮到我们运气好了；即使是威廉·布兰德也会从地狱里爬出来帮助我们的。” “我记得这类话，”巴纳比说，“现在你一提我就想起来了，不过我仍然不太清楚你说这话的意思。” 那个人眯着眼睛把头偏向一边，狡猾地看了他一会儿，然后好像很满意一样，突然大笑起来。“看看这，”他说，“我让你看点东西。”说着，他把头转向旁边有两个镶着铜扣的旅行箱那里。这两个箱子看上去非常像约翰·马利欧先生在牙买加带上船的那两只箱子。实际上只要看到这两只箱子，基本上就能够猜出里面是什么东西了。 我们的主人公一直非常好奇这两个箱子里到底装得是什么，当他看到约翰·马利欧被他威胁之后，变得呆若木鸡，表情那么恶毒，活像一个杀人犯的时候，他就确定了这里面装的是什么东西。但是，上帝！即便如此，当那个男人打开两只箱子的时候，以前的猜测或者确信，比起亲眼见到的东西根本算不了什么。箱子的锁早就已经被撬开了，打开箱盖之后，呈现在巴纳比眼前的是一大堆金银珠宝！大多数财宝都包在皮袋子里，也有许多大大小小、白色黄色的钱币零乱地堆在一起，好像豆子一样，堆在箱子顶上，似乎马上就要溢出来一样。 看到这些东西，巴纳比目瞪口呆，我不知道他是不是连呼吸都停止了；但是我知道，他神情恍惚地坐在那里，盯着这些不可思议的财宝。当他看了几分钟之后，那个男人“嘭”地把箱盖扣上了，接着大笑起来，巴纳比被他吓了一跳，这才回过神来。 “嗨，你对这个有什么想法？”那个人说，“有这些钱的话，值不值得当海盗？但是，”他继续说，“我在这儿等你这么长时间可不是为了给你看这个，我是为了告诉你，你不是船上惟一的乘客，我接到命令，必须把另外一个乘客托付给你照顾。如果你已经准备好了，巴纳比先生，我就将她直接带过来。”他等了一会儿，好像是要等巴纳比回话；但是我们的主人公没有回应，于是他站了起来，把朗姆酒瓶和酒杯都收了起来，穿过会客室走到了门那边（就是刚才巴纳比进来的时候走的那道门）。他打开门，跟里面的人说了几句话，然后带过来一位年轻的女士。她慢慢地向巴纳比坐的桌子走了过来。 这位小姐就是马乔里·马利欧，她脸色苍白，看上去被之前发生的事情给吓坏了，有点不知所措的样子。 巴纳比·楚永远也不能说明白接下来的奇异航行到底是长还是短；它到底是持续了三天，还是持续了十天。我们可以想象，如果两个有血有肉的人像做梦一般经历了一段痛苦的折磨，然后终于幸福地走在一起，此时，周围的一切对他们来说都是无足轻重的。谁能在这种情况下分清时间是长还是短，梦境是长还是短呢？ 他们乘坐的是一艘双桅帆船，船的规模很大，上面有许多船员。这些船员外表都非常奇怪，充满了异国风情，他们有的是白种人，有的是黄种人，有的是黑种人；他们都穿着色彩鲜亮的衣服，耳朵上戴着金耳环；有的蓄着长胡子，有的头上围着头巾。巴纳比从来没有看到过这么多奇怪的人。这些人的语言巴纳比一点也听不懂，但是根据偶尔听到的一两个词，他能够判断出来这是葡萄牙语，但是也许只有上帝才能知道这些神秘的船员到底是什么人。他们似乎都无心关注巴纳比或者那位女士；只是偶尔他们会用黄眼睛瞥他俩一眼，但是仅仅如此。其它的时候，这些人看起来就像一场梦境中的一些生物。只有那个古怪的船长到会客室里调酒或者抽烟，才会和巴纳比聊上几句，或谈谈天气或别的其他什么，然后他便回到甲板上去忙他自己的事了。大多数时候没有人管巴纳比和那位年轻的小姐在做什么，也没有任何一个人干涉他们。 至于那位年轻的小姐，也没有表现出害怕的迹象，只是在最初的时候她有点异乎寻常地麻木和安静，好像被发生在自己身上的事情弄得非常茫然一样。事实上，在我看来，她的灵魂已经被她野兽一样的祖父用强权和暴力给摧毁了。所以对她来说，不管发生多么可怕的事情，在她看来都只是普通的小事而已。 然而她的茫然仅限于刚开始，后来她就变得开朗起来，好像笼罩在头上的乌云也已经散去，现在阳光普照，她的脸庞发出熠熠的光亮。她安静地坐在那里，巴纳比就这么凝视着她的眼睛，我不知道巴纳比盯了她多长时间。她美丽的面庞带着笑容，两个人好像都失去了呼吸，仿佛置身于另外一个遥远的时空。在温暖明亮的阳光下，他们听到那些古怪的船员在说着奇怪的行话，或者听到船员们拖动帆脚索的时候滑轮发出的吱吱咯咯的声音。 看到这里，你就能够理解巴纳比·楚为什么永远都记不起来这次航行到底是长还是短了？ 看起来，这次奇异的旅行好像会永远继续下去。一天早上，当巴纳比·楚来到甲板上，看到双桅帆船在史坦顿岛抛锚的时候，他非常吃惊。他看到一只平底船从大船旁边驶过；山坡上有一个小村庄，可以清楚地看到海对面的纽约知名建筑的屋顶和烟囱。 他多么希望这是他最后见到的陆地呀！ 但是事情真是太奇怪了，待在史坦顿岛附近一整天，纽约城近在咫尺，却又遥不可及。不管他想不想逃，巴纳比·楚都已经发现自己和年轻女士被严密地监视着，他们俩仿佛是被捆住手脚、被人控制的囚犯，只要有任何逃走的想法，都会招致不幸。 一天，船上好像在进行着秘密的交易，下午时分，船长坐着一艘帆船驶向了纽约，船尾放着一大件物品，上面盖着防水油布。巴纳比猜不出他到底把什么带到了城里，但是走到太阳落山时，那只帆船才回来。 太阳落山时，船长回来了，他发现巴纳比正在甲板上，就请他到会客室去。到会客厅后，他发现那位小姐已经坐在那里了。夕阳透过天窗照射进来，整个会客厅亮堂堂的。 船长让巴纳比坐下来，说有重要的事情跟他说。巴纳比一坐下来，船长就说起来，表情非常严肃。开头是这样的：“年轻的先生，可能你认为我是这艘船的船长，但实际上我不是，我只是个下属，我是执行上级的命令才做所有这些事情的。”他继续说，现在他还有件最为重要的事情要做，巴纳比和这位小姐并不是因为意外才离开“美女海伦号”的，这一切都是一个远比自己聪明的人设下的计策。他说，希望巴纳比和这位小姐都能够心甘情愿地执行被要求去做的事情，不论他们是否愿意，都必须去做，因为这是一个从来没有被忤逆过的人的命令。 你能够想象得到，主人公听到这些话时都忘记呼吸了。但是不论他曾经有过多么疯狂的梦想，都无法与所接到的命令的奇异程度相比。“我的命令是这样的，”他继续说，“我要把你和这位女士带到岸上去，看着你们俩结婚才能离开。我们已经为婚礼请了一位善良、高贵、正直的牧师，他就住在岸上的一个村子里。我已经把所有的事情都告诉他了。现在，他肯定正在等着你们。这就是我的命令，也是要做的最后一件事情。现在给你们俩五分钟的时间商量这件事，请快点做决定，因为不管你们愿不愿意，你们都一定要结婚。” 然后他就走了，就像他说的那样，留下了两个年轻人单独在一起。巴纳比好像变成了石头，年轻的女士也转过头去，在晚霞中，她的脸像火一样红。 我不知道巴纳比对她说了什么，也不知道他用了什么样的话，但是，他的头脑乱作一团，他对小姐说，上帝知道他爱着她，全心全意地爱着她，自己的世界里只有她。但是，如果她不愿意遵从命令结婚，如果她不愿意嫁给自己，他宁愿死掉，也不愿意逼迫她做不愿意做的事情。另外，他还说，她一定要说这句话，告诉自己愿不愿意，上帝知道，如果她说“愿意”，他愿意放弃整个世界。 他乱七八糟地说了许多话，前言不搭后语。她坐在那里，胸部急速起伏着，好像无法呼吸一样。我不知道她具体怎么说的，只知道她说愿意嫁给他。听到这句话，巴纳比把女孩拥到怀里，深深地吻了她，他的心幸福得都快融化掉了。 这时船长又回到了会客厅，看到巴纳比拉着女孩的手坐在那里，女孩的脸羞涩地转向了一边，巴纳比的心也像鼓点一样咚咚跳着。船长看到事情如自己所愿定了下来，就握住了巴 纳比的手，祝福两个人幸福快乐。 走上甲板时，双桅帆船上放下了一只小艇，他们立即坐了上去。不一会儿，他们就登陆了，很快就到了乡村的街道上。女孩靠在巴纳比的胳臂上，好像没有这个依靠就会倒下去一样。船长和船上另外两个人跟随在他们身后。他们到了牧师的住处后，夜色中，牧师正抽着烟，在门前来回踱步，等着他们的到来。他们一到，牧师立即把他们请到屋里，他的妻子拿来一只蜡烛，屋子里还有其他两位村民。牧师问了他们的几个问题，诸如名字、年龄、家乡等，然后举行了结婚仪式，所有在场的人都在结婚证书上签了字。当然那些从双桅帆船上来的人没有签字，他们拒绝碰任何纸张。 下午送船长到镇上的那艘船正在他们上岸的地方等着他们。船长祝福他们平安幸福，和巴纳比使劲地握了一下手，然后调转船头，顺风离开了，把海岸和那些奇怪的人远远地抛在了黑夜里。 在黑夜中行驶时，他们能够听到双桅帆船上帆被提起来时发出的吱吱嘎嘎的声音。根据这个声音，他们知道船再一次出海了。巴纳比再也没有见过这些人，我也没有听说其他人见过这些人。 午夜时分，船终于到达了哈特莱特先生在华尔街的码头上，当他们往巴纳比家走的时候，街道上一片漆黑，一点声音也没有。 你可以想象得到，当听到有人这么晚敲门，巴纳比亲爱的继父穿着睡袍，举着蜡烛开门时，看到他的儿子和一位年轻漂亮的小姐站在门口的时候是多么得意外和吃惊。 这个好人的第一个念头是“美女海伦号”到港了。巴纳比一直没有解释，就进了房间。直到他们坐定，确定十分安全时，才把自己奇妙的经历一五一十地告诉了继父。 “巴纳比，这是今天下午有两个外国水手给你留下的，”这个善良的老人领着儿子穿过大厅，举起蜡烛说。在餐厅门边靠墙的地方放着一些东西。 当他看到这是约翰·马利欧从牙买加抢到手的两箱财宝中的一箱时，他禁不住惊讶地大声叫起来。当然这些箱子后来又被海盗们从“美女海伦号”抢了过来。至于哈特莱特先生，他根本猜不到这里面装的到底是什么东西。 第二天，一个人带来了“美女海伦号”的消息，她现在已经进港，当然还有一个可怕的消息，那天晚上船在海上遭到了袭击，而且约翰·马利欧先生死了。死亡的原因是那天晚上他突然看到了被他亲手杀害的老船长，他认为老船长已经死了，并且还被埋了，但是老船长的突然出现把他吓得休克，而且因为过度紧张而精神崩溃。当海盗们带着那位年轻女士、巴纳比和两只旅行箱走时，船上有人发现约翰·马利欧先生倒在甲板上全身痉挛、口吐白沫、脸色发紫，好像被什么堵住了喉咙。人们把他抬到了他的床铺上，第二天上午十点时，他死了，死前一直没有挣开眼睛，也没有说过一句话。 至于那个恶棍仆人，从那以后就没有人再看到过他。他到底是跳进了海里，还是被袭击船只的海盗们带走了呢？谁也说不清楚。 当哈特莱特先生听到巴纳比的故事后，本来无法确定那些人送给巴纳比的那箱财宝到底是不是属于自己的儿子，但约翰·马利欧死亡的消息却使整个事件看起来清楚了。就算那箱财宝不属于巴纳比，但毫无疑问它属于他的妻子，因为她是约翰·马利欧先生的合法继承人。于是，这批数量巨大的财宝（估计总价值达到了六万三千英镑以上）就落到了著名海盗威廉·布兰德的孙子巴纳比·楚手中。约翰·马利欧因为没有男性子嗣，所以他在英国德文郡的地产就由马利欧上尉继承了，就是本来马利欧小姐要结婚的那个人。 至于另外一箱财宝，再也没有听说过，巴纳比也猜不出它是作为战利品被海盗们平分了呢？还是被海盗们带到某个外国岛屿上瓜分了呢？ 故事就这样结束了，只能这么说，不管当时在枪出膛时的亮光中看到的是布兰德船长的幽灵还是活生生的人，我们唯一想说的是，没有人再听到过他的消息，而且自从他在1733年在哥布拉河岸上被约翰·马利欧船长从背后射杀的那天起，就再也没有人听到过关于他的任何消息了。