Chapter 8 Chapter 6 The Legendary Story of Pirate Blue Skin-2

About half an hour later, Levi's friend arrived.One was a small, thin, wizened foreign man in a rust-colored suit, gray-white linen stockings, and brass buckles on his shoes.The other, also obviously a foreigner, wore canvas breeches, a heavy woolen overcoat, knee-length boots, and a red sash around his waist, making him look like a sailor.As he pushed back his coat, Hiram saw a pistol butt gleaming.The man was very stocky, not tall, with low eyebrows, a short neck, and bluish stubble on his cheeks, chin, and throat.On his head was a red kerchief, and a three-cornered hat with a brim of gilt lace, though the gilt had lost its luster.

Levi himself opened the door for them, and outside said a few words to the visitor, in a foreign language Hiram did not understand.After entering, the thin man cast a sharp glance at Hiram, and the burly villain gave him a vicious look. The two strangers did not greet Hiram, and after that, they never paid attention to him again. Levi drew down the blinds, bolted the door, and pulled a chair against the door that connected the kitchen to the room.Then the three of them sat down at the dining table which Dinah had just half cleared, and the sturdy man produced a packet of papers from his coat pocket, and the three of them began to study them intently.They were talking in the same language in which Levi had greeted them just now, and Hiram could not understand a word.For a while, the voices were very low, and for a while the voices suddenly became louder, as if they were arguing fiercely, but after a while, they began to whisper in low voices again.

The big clock in the corner had struck twice, and the long discussion was still going on. Hiram stood still, motionless as a stump, not saying a word, just staring intently into the dim light. Three heads crowded together and pieces of paper spread out on the table.Suddenly, the conversation ended, the three heads were separated, and the three chairs were pushed aside, making a harsh sound.Levi stood up, went to the closet and took out a bottle of Hiram's apple brandy, as easily as if it belonged to him.He put three cups on the table, and put another jug ​​of water, and then the three of them poured themselves out and drank generously.

The two guests went out, and Levi stood in front of the gate and watched them leave. He didn't turn around until their hazy backs disappeared into the darkness, and then he turned and walked in, closing the door.He shivered suddenly, drank the last sip of wine, turned around and went to bed.He hadn't spoken to Hiram once since he first got hold of his anger. Hiram, who was thrown aside, stood silent and motionless for a while, then looked around slowly, shrugged his shoulders, as if to wake himself, and then he took the candle, left the room, and gently He gently closed the door behind him.

Eight Levi's visit was very unwelcome, for it was the time of poor Hiram White's worst distress.In those days money was valued differently than it is now, £500 was a lot, and in Sussex it was a fortune.It was very difficult for Hiram to raise the money that his father had left to his stepbrother, and it seemed impossible to raise it in such a short time.Lawyer Hall has always been warm and friendly to Hiram. Even if the whole world does not believe Hiram, he is willing to believe him.But when it comes to money, the old man is very stubborn and ruthless.When he asked Attorney Hall to borrow money, the old man was as hard and cold as a rock.He said he could do what he could to help Hiram, but Hiram had to raise the £500 himself—that is to say, Hiram had to put out the bonds.He could lend Hiram £300, but he would have to mortgage his mill.Originally, Hall could lend him 400 pounds, but since he already had an advance mortgage of 100 pounds, he didn't dare to put more money on it.In order to speculate, Hiram once bought a large amount of wheat and stored it in a warehouse in Philadelphia. Now he can only auction this batch of wheat at a low price and only get back 100 pounds.At this time, his financial situation was very bad, but he still raised the £500 for Levi and handed it over to Solicitor Hall, who subsequently released him from the bond.

On an overcast, very cold afternoon in early December, Hiram finally got the deal done, tearing the bonds apart bit by bit.Attorney Hall pushed the documents on the desk aside and put his feet up on the desk. "Hiram," he said suddenly, "Did you know, Hiram? Levi Waster has been hanging around Sally Martin's house, as if courting his beautiful daughter." After he finished speaking, there was only a long silence, and the lawyer couldn't help but wonder if Hiram had heard him at all.But in fact Hiram had heard it. "No," he said, "I don't know."

"Well, that's true," said Attorney Hall. "That's what the neighbors say. It's a bad rumour, you know? They say she's been away from home for three days since last week, and no one knows she's gone." Where. The guy's stories and lies have got her hooked." Hiram still didn't say a word, just stared at Attorney Hall in numb silence. "Your stepbrother," continued the old lawyer, "is a rascal, and he's a rascal, Hiram, and I suspect he could be worse than that. I've heard he's been seen lately in strange places with a couple of people stay together."

He stopped again, and Hiram still said nothing. "As for you, Hiram," said the old man again suddenly, "I hear you're after that girl too, aren't you?" "Yes," said Hiram, "I am courting her, too." "Tut! tut!" said the lawyer. "I'm so sorry, Hiram. I'm afraid you won't be able to catch her." Hiram stood for some time in the street after leaving the lawyer's office.His head was bald, his hat was in his hand, his eyes were fixed on the ground without blinking, his lips drooped stupidly, and his eyes were dull.After a while, he raised his hand and slowly brushed the light brown hair on his forehead.Then, as if awakened suddenly, he shuddered, looked dully at the streets around him, put on his hat, turned and staggered away slowly.

Winter is a cloudy season, dusk falls quickly, and the leaden sky makes people feel very dull.Hiram walked for a while on the outskirts of the town, then stopped and stood a while, lost in his own thoughts.Afterwards, instead of retracing the way home, he walked up the road into the bare field, skirted the crooked fence, and came to Sally Martin's house. By coincidence, Hiram went to Sally Martin's house that day. Whether it was good luck or bad luck, he came here at that time that day. After seeing the worst scene he had been worrying about, he was completely desperate. On the side of the road not far from Martin's house, there was a mountain plum hedge, which was now bare without a leaf in sight.As Hiram approached the hedge, he heard footsteps, accompanied by whispers.Immediately he hid in the corner of the fence, behind the bare bushes.In the last light of the setting sun he saw two people coming down the path, one was his stepbrother and the other was Sally Martin.At this time, Levi was hugging the girl, whispering in her ear, and the girl rested her head on his shoulder.

Hiram stood there motionless, as if he had fallen into an ice cellar, unable to breathe.They stopped at the side of the road, just in front of Hiram's hiding place.Hiram stared at them intently, and the two whispered, now and then, reaching the ears of the breathless silent audience. Suddenly, with a bang, the door swung open, and the silence was broken by Betty Martin's stern, high-pitched voice: "Sally! Sally! Sally Martin! You, Sally Martin! Come in! Where are you? ?” The girl threw her arms around Levi's neck, kissed him quickly, and then ran briskly away, flying away along the road where Hiram stood.Hiram crouched quickly as she ran by.Levi stood and watched her go, until she disappeared, then turned around, whistled and left.

Levi's piercing whistle gradually disappeared into the distance, and Hiram stumbled out from behind the fence with an expression he had never seen before, which was indescribable. Nine Hiram stood before the fire with his hands clasped behind his back.He didn't even touch the dinner on the table.Levi's appetite was very good, and he ate voraciously.Suddenly, he looked over the plate to his stepbrother. "What about the £500, Hiram?" said he. "I've given you a month to raise it, and though it's not yet time, I'm going to leave here the day after tomorrow, and you'll have to put it away tomorrow at the latest. Give me the money, I want my own money." "I gave the money to Lawyer Hall today, and he will keep it for you," said Hiram dully. Levi put down his knife and fork with a bang. "Mr. Hall!" he said. "What has Mr. Hall got to do with this? Mr. Hall didn't use the money, you did. You'll have to give it back to me, and if you don't , I swear to God, I will sue you, I will." "Mr. Hall is trustee, I am not your trustee," said Hiram in the same dull voice. "I don't know a trustee," Levi said, "and I don't know a lawyer. What I want to know is, are you going to pay me?" "No," said Hiram, "I won't give it to you. Mr. Hall will give it to you. Go to him." Levi Vast, flushed purple in the face, pushed his chair back with a jerk and cried out in a piercing voice. "You bloody land bandit!" he said through gritted teeth. "I see through your game. You're trying to scam me out of my money. You know Lawyer Hall has a problem with me, he hates me, and Wrote that report to Philadelphia and tried to turn everyone against me and sent sailors against me. I know your game well, but you can't fool me. As long as there are laws in the world, I'll have my money—you bloody, perverted thief! You violated our dead father's will!" What happened next, it is estimated that even if the roof collapsed, Levi Wast would not be so surprised.Hiram stepped forward suddenly, clenched his fists, pressed half of his body over the table, and stared intently into Levi's eyes.His dull, stupid, woody face was badly contorted with rage, and the veins on his temples bulged like knotted whipcord.When he spoke, his voice was far beyond the standard of conduct for a Christian, a panting growl. "You'll sue me? Just you?" he said. "You'll sue me, won't you? You're afraid of going to court—Levi Waster—you go to court—see if you like the law Come on. Why do you call me a thief—you bloody, murderous rascal! You are a thief—Levi Waster—you came here and stole my papa; you let me Broke—I gotta give you money that was supposed to be mine—and you stole the girl I'm after." He paused, his lips quivering at what he was about to say. "I know you," he said through gritted teeth, "I know you! If my father hadn't made me swear, I would have sent you to the magistrate." Then, pointing to Levi with trembling hands, he said, "There's the door, you see! Get out and never come in again—if you come in again—or if I see you again somewhere—I Swear to God, turn you over to a lawyer and tell him everything I know and see! Ah, I'll do it, I'll make you what you want, and if you want the law, I'll give you plenty of laws! Get the hell out of this house!" Levi seemed to shrink back at Hiram's words, and his brassy face grew yellower and duller than wax.When Hiram finished, without a word, he pushed back his chair, stood up, put on his hat, glanced furtively about, and stole out of the house, the dinner had just moved a little, but he didn't stop. Come down and finish it.He never went into Hiram White's house after that. ten Hiram finally drove the villain out of the house, but the bad thing that the villain had planned for a long time happened.The next day it was rumored that Sally Martin had run off with Levi Vast.Next morning old Billy Martin came into town with his rifle, hunted Levi around, and threatened to shoot him if he caught the villain who had led his daughter astray. This villain left Hiram's house, and at the same time another villain left the harbor where he anchored.A few days later, news came from the Indian River that the pirate Blueskin had left the mouth of the river and was heading southeast.Those who seemed to know it all said he had left the place. It was a wise decision for Blueskin to leave here, because just three days after his departure, the sloop "Scorpion" broke down in Port Lewis, carrying the unfortunate liner's New York agent and a Government Commissioner. They wasted no time in issuing a stern warrant as soon as they arrived.The warrant brought to light many curious facts.They found that, for a time, the inhabitants of the vicinity of Indian had a very friendly relationship with pirates, because in many houses in this area, the government commissioner found many valuable things, which were snatched by pirates from liners of.They also found numerous valuables of dubious origin in some homes in Lewistown. For a while, the inhabitants seemed to be somewhat tainted by pirates. Not even poor Hiram White escaped suspicion, and the prosecutors found that Levi Vast was involved in the criminal activities of the pirate Blueskin, so they believed that Hiram was also involved with pirates. Old Dinah and Black Bob were also censored, so that not only was it all known about Levi's meeting with the two guests, but it was also known that while the pirates were in the house discussing what to do with the booty, Hiram present. Hiram bore it all in silence, and nothing seemed to hurt him more than these unjust suspicions.Of all the misfortunes that had befell Hiram, this was the last, the heaviest, and the hardest to bear. Levi not only took his father's love from him, but also drove himself to the brink of bankruptcy.What is even more hateful is that he eloped with the girl he loved, and now he has ruined Hiram's good name. In response to his suspicions, the inspectors immediately acted aggressively. The pirates once snatched checks worth several hundred pounds of gold coins from the liner. Therefore, Hiram was subjected to strict interrogation and strict inspection. They wanted to find out whether Hiram knew the whereabouts of these pirates. All kinds of disasters came one after another, pressing on Hiram like a mountain. Under the heavy pressure, Hiram was not only more dull and silent than before, but also became more gloomy and melancholy, and often fell into deep thought involuntarily. among.In front of the fire, he often sat for hours without even moving his chair, just staring blankly ahead. On a cold February night, when the snow was three inches thick, and Hiram was lost in thought, there was a soft knock at the door. The knock on the door was very low and incoherent, showing some hesitation, and Hiram was suddenly awakened.He sat for a while, looking around, then jerked his chair back, stood up, went to the door and opened it. It turned out to be Sally Martin standing outside the door. Hiram just stared at her expressionlessly, without saying a word.Sally spoke first. "Hey, won't you ask me to come in and sit for a while?" she said. "I'm cold and hungry. I'm dying of starvation. I'm so hungry. For God's sake, please let me in." "All right," said Hiram, "come in, but why don't you go home to yourself?" The poor girl was shivering from the cold, and her teeth were chattering and chattering.At this she began to cry, wiping her tears with the corner of the blanket which covered her head and shoulders. "I went back, Hiram," she said, "but father, he shut the door in my face, and called me very viciously, Hai, and I wish I were dead." "You'd better come in first," said Hiram, "it's too cold to stand outside." He made way for the girl, who hurried into the house gratefully. Hiram asked Negro Dinah to bring her food, and she sat down, gobbled it up, and began to eat in big mouthfuls.Hiram stood with his back to the fire as she ate, watching her, the face that had been round and red as a rose now thin and haggard. "Are you sick, Sally?" he asked. "No," she said, "but I've had a hard time since I left home, Hai." Tears welled up again at the thought of that miserable time, but she wiped them away hastily with the back of her hand. Tears, did not stop the action of eating. Then there was a silence.Dinah sat curled up on a small wooden bench on the other side of the fireplace, listening to their conversation with interest.Hiram paid no attention to her at all. "Didn't you run away with Levi?" he asked suddenly.The girl lowered her head and glanced up at him secretly. "Don't be afraid," he said again. "Yes," she answered at last, "I went with him, Hiram." "Where have you been?" Hearing this question, she suddenly put down the knife and fork. "Don't ask me that, Hay," she said passionately. "I can't answer you that question. You don't know Levi, Hiram. He doesn't want me to tell you about him, and I wouldn't dare to kill him." Tell you, if I told you where we were, wherever I went, he would find me and kill me. If you knew what I knew, Hiram, you would No more questions about him will be asked." Hiram looked at her intently and thought for a long time, and finally he spoke again: "I've been wanting to see you more, Sally." Sally didn't answer immediately, but after a while, she suddenly raised her head. "Hiram," she said, "if I tell you something, will you swear you won't tell anyone?" Hiram nodded. "Then I'll tell you, if Levi knew I told you, he'd kill me, of course he would. Come on over, Hai, I've got to speak to you softly." Hiram Leaning towards her, she looked quickly left and right, then put her mouth to his ear: "I'm an honest woman, Hai. I was married to Levi Vast before I ran away. " eleven Winter is over, spring is over, and summer is coming soon.No matter what Hiram thought in his heart, there was no outward sign of pain.However, his clumsy face had visibly slacked, his cheeks sunken, and his body seemed even more clumsy with loose joints, almost receding into his clothes.He would often be woken up in the middle of the night, and sometimes he would walk around the house for hours into the middle of the night. In this way, he spent a long time, and then he encountered the greatest and most terrible thing in his life. On a very hot night in July, it felt like being in a steam oven. Even with only a few small things on my mind, the environment was pleasant, but it was still difficult to fall asleep in such a hot weather.The full moon shone through the open windows on the floor.Hiram walked up and down the room, passing the square of moonlight every time he walked back and forth, and every time he stepped into the beams cast by the dim moonlight, under the reflection of the moonlight, his emaciated body Suddenly there was a light. The kitchen clock rang, and Hiram stopped to count the chimes. It was twelve o'clock. When the last bell had struck and the night fell silent again, he still stood motionless.Now he was listening intently to another voice.At the last stroke of the great clock he heard footsteps coming slowly and cautiously along the path in front of the house, until they came under the open window.Seconds later, he heard rusty hinges creak.A mysterious guest enters the mill.Hiram tiptoed to the window and looked out.At this moment, a bright full moon hung over the dusty wooden roof of the old mill, and not thirty paces away, he saw the door suddenly open.He immediately lifted his spirits and concentrated on observing. After about a second or two of silence, a clear and vivid figure flashed out from the darkness behind the open door.The moon was so bright that Hiram could see the face of the man, Levi Vast, as clearly as day.Now, under his arm, was an empty flour sack. Levi Waster looked around, then took off his hat, wiped the sweat from his brow with the back of his hand, closed the door softly, and tiptoed away from the mill, as cautiously as he had come.He moved cautiously close to the house, and Hiram looked down at him, when Hiram had only to reach out and touch him. When he was fifty or sixty yards away from the house, Levi stopped, and a second figure suddenly appeared from the shadow behind the winding fence, obviously coming to join Levi.They stood talking together for a little while, Levi pointing to the mill now and then, and then the two of them turned away, climbed over the fence, took a short cut across an open farm field, past tall and tangled clutter. Grass, go southeast. Hiram straightened up and took a deep breath. The moonlight shone on his face, and he could clearly see his twisted, furious expression, which was the same as he had faced himself in the kitchen seven months earlier. The younger brother's expression was exactly the same.At this moment, beads of sweat dripped from his forehead, and he wiped the sweat off with his sleeves, then jumped out of the window without a coat or a hat, walked across the grass, and walked towards Levi without hesitation The direction followed. He climbed over the fence and saw clearly that the two men in the moonlight were walking on the far end of the flat, dense grass, and were about to enter a narrow pine forest. In a little while they entered the pine forest and disappeared into the dark wood. Now, Hiram's eyes were firm, and his lips were tightly shut, as stubborn and ruthless as a Fury in pursuit of an enemy.He followed the two of them across the moonlit meadow and into the shadow of the pine forest.The pine forest at midnight is very quiet, not a sound can be heard.He stepped lightly on the pitch-dripping ground under the tree without making a sound.In the silent woods, he could clearly hear the voices of Levi and his companions in the distance. In this empty woods, their voices were particularly loud, and they were accompanied by echoes from the valley.There was a cornfield beyond the woods, and the two of them got into the earing cornfield, and the rustling of corn leaves could be heard from time to time.According to this rustling sound, he followed them into the cornfield without missing a step. Across the cornfields was a road to the south of Lewis, passing a single-plank bridge, and passing through a vast salt marsh that connected the town to the sand dunes beyond. The two walked along this route, Hiram following behind.Suddenly, Hiram found himself overtaking them, within fifty paces of them, and now he could see Levi's companion carrying a bag of what looked like tools or something on his shoulders. He stopped for a while, waited until the distance between him and them was opened, then wiped the sweat from his forehead with his sleeve, and stared at the two people in front of him.After a while the two men climbed over the fence and onto the road again. Hiram followed the two for two miles, perhaps more, down the smooth white road, through the quiet houses of Greenfield in sweet dreams, over barns, sheds, Towering haystacks, fields, woods, open meadows, dark and quiet towns, and finally a vast white salt marsh.Under the silvery moonlight, the salt marsh looks endless. Of course, it actually has a boundary. In the distance, the salt marsh is connected with a long snow-white sand dune. Hiram followed them again through flat salt marshes, lush sedge fields, and glass-clear lakes.As he passed the lake, he also saw his own reflection on the lake.They went on and on like this, until at last they came to a forest of dwarf pines.These old dwarf pine trees grow at the foot of the white sand dunes. They look weather-beaten, but they are very tall and straight. Hiram waited in the shadow of the pinewood, and the two men had reached a clearing, their long, ink-black shadows trailing behind them.In the deathly stillness Hiram seemed to be able to hear dimly, half a mile away, the deep, powerful lapping of the Atlantic waves against the sand dunes on the shore. Then the two men rounded the southern end of the white cliff, and Hiram followed them closely, and also rounded the cliff, but at this moment, the two men suddenly disappeared. In front of you are smooth and steep sand hills, with jagged ridges reaching into the sky.The figures of the two people in front walked straight up the mountain, and soon disappeared on the top of the mountain, and Hiram followed suit.On the other side of the ridge there is a circular bowl-shaped valley, about 50 feet wide and 18 to 20 feet deep, which is almost perfectly rounded by the sea wind.Hiram followed them slowly and cautiously to the top of the hill, and peeped furtively down into the valley below.The two men were sitting on the sand, and not far from them, there was a dead pine tree with a tall trunk standing bare on the sand, where it might have grown centuries ago. twelve By this time, Levi had taken off his jacket and waistcoat, and was fanning the wind with his hat.He spread the package he was carrying with him on the sand and sat down.His accomplice sat down opposite him.The bright moonlight fell on the man's face, and Hiram immediately recognized him as the well-built foreign villain who had gone to find Levi that night with the little man.The man had taken off his hat and was wiping his sweat with a red scarf.Beside him, there is a bundle of tools that he has been carrying: two iron A shovel, a rope and a long pointed iron rod. The two men were talking in a foreign language, Hiram could not understand what they were saying.But he could see his stepbrother pointing now at the dead tree and now at the white sand on the other steep side of the bowl-shaped valley. Afterwards, the two appear to have rested and their meeting — if it was a meeting — is over.Levi led the way, another followed, and the two of them reached the dead pine tree.Levi paused and began to work, as if looking for a sign.Finding it, he pulled a tape measure and a large brass compass from his bag.He handed one end of the tape to his companion and pressed the other end somewhere in the tree with his thumb.Then use the compass to determine the direction, and give orders to another person from time to time. The person moves a little to the left and a little to the right according to the instructions.Then Levi gave another order, and his companion took a wooden peg from his pocket, and drove it into the sand.Then, they took this wooden nail as the base point, measured according to the azimuth indicated by the compass, and nailed a second wooden nail.After a third measurement, they seemed to have finally found their destination. Levi crossed himself at this spot with his heel.His also handed him the pointed iron rod, and standing aside, Levi raised the iron rod and drove it deep into the sand.He pushed down little by little, as if looking for something hidden under the sand.This process lasted for quite a while, and then, as if the iron rod had hit something hard under the sand, there was a sudden ear-piercing sound.It looked like he had found what he was looking for.He tapped down two or three more times with the stick, and when he was sure it was correct, he stuck the stick in there and wiped the sand off his hands. "Now get the shovel, Peter," he said, speaking to the man for the first time in English. The two men got busy digging the sand, since the object they were looking for appeared to be buried about six feet deep, and the sand would slide down the pit again and again, so it was a lot of work and required Repeatedly.Their shovel finally touched the hard object, and Levi wiped the sand from his hands and bent down. Levi's partner crawled out of the bunker and threw him the rope.Levi tied the thing securely with a rope, and climbed out of the bunker too.Together they tugged hard on the rope and finally dragged a heavy iron box out of the pit.The box is about three feet long, one foot wide, and one foot high. Levi's companion bent down and untied the ropes that bound the box. What happened next was very fast, very scary and completely unexpected.Levi took a step back, glanced quickly to both sides, and then quickly stretched his hand behind his back. In the bright moonlight, Hiram saw the long, sharp, very sharp blade of the knife.When his companion straightened up, Levi quickly raised the sharp knife and stabbed hard, followed by a second stab, and the two attacks were very fast and powerful.Hiram saw the point of the knife go into the man's back so clearly that he could even hear the indistinct sound of the knife hitting the man's ribs—once, twice.The burly black-bearded man screamed, it sounded horrific, and staggered to the ground.Then he scrambled to his feet with another yelp, and in a frenzied and desperate choke of Levi's throat and arms.The short fight that followed, although it seemed thrilling, was carried out silently.Apart from heavy panting and messy footsteps on the sand, there were hardly any other sounds, and Hiram could see a large pool of dark red blood flowing on the sand.But obviously, this is a battle of disparity in strength, so the battle only lasted for a second or two.Levi pulled his arm out of the wounded man's hand, tore off the shirt sleeve from the shoulder to the wrist, raised the sharp knife brutally again, and stabbed down again and again.Now, the knife has completely lost its original bright white color. In an instant, it was all over.Like a bundle of rags, Levi's companion fell on the sand without saying a word, lying there softly, with half of his face buried in the sand, and then his body twitched, and then fell silent. lay still. Holding the sharp knife tightly, Levi leaned down to inspect the man.His shirt and hands, as well as his bare arms, were stained red with the man's blood.The moonlight shone on his face, and Hiram saw the face of a demon crawling from hell. At last he shrugged, stooped, wiped his knife and hands on the baggy breeches of the dead man, wiped his arm, put the knife back into its sheath, took a key from his pocket, and opened the box.In the bright moonlight Hiram saw clearly that the trunk consisted mostly of paper and leather bags, and that the bags were evidently full of money. From the beginning to the end of that terrible battle, Hiram lay silent and motionless on the top of the dune, watching in horror and bewilderment the desperate struggle in the sandy valley below.The sand slowly slid down from where he lay on his stomach, but Levi was too focused on looking through the contents of the box to notice the slight sound of the sand. Hiram's face was as pale and emaciated as that of a dead man.He opened his mouth as if to speak, but couldn't utter a word.He stood there in silence, more like a statue than a living person, when his eyes suddenly fell on the bag Levi had brought.There is no doubt that the bag was used to hold jewelry, and it still lies quietly in the sand.At this moment, Hiram suddenly had a flash of inspiration, and the expression on his entire face changed. He closed his lips tightly together, as if afraid that he might make a sound inadvertently, and the haggard expression on his face completely disappeared. up. He walked carefully and slowly down the slope along the edge of the dune.他的行动缓慢、寂静，踩到松软的沙子上时，竟没有发出一丝声响。他就这样静悄悄地、一步一步地走下了沙丘，走到那个袋子旁边，无声无息地拿起了袋子。利瓦伊仍然在箱子边上埋头检查里面的纸张，离他只有四英尺远。海勒姆拿着袋子，可能是因为不小心发出了轻微的沙沙声，利瓦伊迅速转过头来，但是已经晚了，一瞬间，那个袋子已经罩住了他的全身。 接着是另外一场恶斗，和刚才发生的那场搏斗一样激烈，一样无声无息，一样绝望而短暂。利瓦伊身材瘦长、强壮，精力旺盛，他力气很大，为了保住性命，他绝望地用尽全力进行搏斗，即便如此，他仍然没有机会战胜同样拥有强大力量的海勒姆。没过多久，利瓦伊被死去同伴的尸体绊倒了，海勒姆一下子扑到他的身上。也许这一跤把他给绊晕了，也许他觉得再抵抗也没有什么用，所以，他停了下来，安静地躺在那里。海勒姆跪在他身上，从箱子的环上抽出绳子，然后一声不吭地把利瓦伊连同那个面粉袋紧紧地捆在了一起，打上了好多个结。在这个过程中，利瓦伊只说了一句话。“如果你让我走，”包袱里传出他窒闷的声音，“我会给你500镑，就在那个箱子里放着。”海勒姆一句话也没有回答，继续打着绳结，把他紧紧地捆住了。 Thirteen 整个冬天和春天，“蝎子号”战舰一直停泊在刘易斯港，也许他们还怀着一丝微弱的希望，认为海盗可能会卷土重来。这天早上八点，梅纳德上尉正坐在霍尔律师的办公室里，边用帽子扇着风，边和律师聊着天。忽然外面传来一阵嘈杂的声音，而且声音越来越近。律师和上尉连忙走了出来。他们看到街上有一大群人正向这边走来，不停地喧哗着，推推搡搡的，有的人走在人行道上，有的人走在大马路上。附近的人家把门窗都打开了，伸出头去想看看到底发生了什么事。这群人越走越近，人们终于看到了，这群人中有一个人，他们陪着他往这边走。这个人就是海勒姆·怀特，他的头上没有戴帽子，身上也没有穿外套，汗水顺着脸颊滴溚滴溚地往下流，但他仍然像平常一样面无表情、一言不发。他的肩上背着一个大袋子，袋子用绳子一圈圈地紧紧地捆着。直到他们走到跟前来，律师和上尉才看到这个袋子里露出来一双穿着灰色线袜的腿。原来，海勒姆竟然背着的是一个人。 当天早上，海勒姆就这样拖着这个袋子走了五英里远，中间一次也没有休息，直接来到了律师的办公室。 他走上陡峭的楼梯，进了律师的办公室，一言不发，把身上背的东西重重地摞在了地板上，然后才擦了擦额头上的汗。 律师两只手撑在桌子上，站在那里，先看了看海勒姆，又看了看地上这个奇怪的东西。尽管外面人声鼎沸，而此时，办公室里却忽然静了下来。“这是什么，海勒姆？”霍尔律师问道。 海勒姆重重地喘着粗气，终于开了口。“这是一个双手沾满血腥的谋杀犯。”他说，用颤抖的手，指了指袋子里那个一动不动的人。 “这儿，你们来几个人！”律师大声叫到，“过来！把这个人解开！他是谁？”有十几个冲上来帮忙，很快就解开了绳子，面粉口袋从那个人的头上和身体上滑落了下来。 他的头发、脸、眉毛和衣服上都沾满了面粉，但是这些面粉却无法遮盖住他头上、胳膊上和衬衫上大大小小的暗色血污。利瓦伊用胳膊肘支起了自己的身体，愁眉苦脸地向四周看了看，周围的人都对这个结果感到十分地吃惊。 “啊，是利瓦伊·瓦斯特！”律师用沙哑的声音说，他太吃惊了，似乎半天才找回了说话的能力。 忽然，梅纳德上尉推开围住利瓦伊的人群，挤了进来，他抓住利瓦伊的头发，把他的头向后扳去，以便看清这个人的脸。“利瓦伊·瓦斯特！”他大声地说，“这个人就是你曾经提到过的利瓦伊·瓦斯特？看看这个伤疤，还有他脸上的印记！他就是蓝肤！” fourteen 在蓝肤从沙地里挖出来的箱子里，人们不但发现了班轮上被抢走的金匠汇票，而且还发现了许多那艘船上的官员和乘客们被抢劫的贵重物品。 班轮的纽约代理人说要给海勒姆一笔丰厚的报酬，感谢他帮助他们重新找回这些丢失的汇票，但海勒姆斩钉截铁地拒绝了。“我这么做，”像平常一样，他沉闷、呆滞地说，“只是想让大家知道我是一个诚实的人。”虽然他不肯接受班轮代理人给的报酬，但是上天还是赏赐了他。“蝎子号”把蓝肤押到了英国，关在了纽盖特监狱。在狱中，他自杀了，用长袜把自己吊在了监狱的窗户上。初秋时分，这条消息传到了刘易斯，霍尔律师马上行动，把海勒姆父亲的500镑遗产转交到了海勒姆手中。 这一年的11月，海勒姆和海盗的遗孀萨利·马丁终于一起步入了婚姻的殿堂。