Lakhasly

I heard stones moving down the hill and looked up. I saw something jump behind a tree.'Did your ship go under the water in a storm?" 'No, friend,' he said. They marooned me. They left me here and sailed away. I've been alone these three years, with no food but fish and some fruit. Have you got any English food? I dream about cheese every night."Then they sailed away and marooned me here." 'Well, I said, 'the Hispaniola's out there, and now we're both here. But how are we going to get on board?"'Who are you?" I asked. 'Ben Gunn,' he answered. 'I'm poor Ben Gunn, and I haven't spoken to anyone for three years."His clothes were old ship sails and the skin from wild goats.Is that Captain Flint's ship?" 'It's not Flint's ship, and Flint is dead, but I will tell you true. There are some of Flint's men on

that ship.""We landed here, and Flint went to the island with six men and the treasure. They were six strong brave men, too. They were on the island for a week while we were waiting out on the ship. Then Flint came back, rowing a little boat. He was alone. The six men were dead. Dead and buried on the island. He killed them all. Just him against six. Billy Bones and Long

John Silver were the officers, and they asked him where the treasure was, but he never told them."Twelve days they searched for it, and they got angrier every day.His face was dark, burnt by the sun."Marooned"."Jim Hawkins, I told him. 'You're a lucky lad", Jim.

I heard stones moving down the hill and looked up. I saw something jump behind a tree. Was it an animal? Was it a man?

I began to walk away, slowly. I was feeling nervous and afraid. I saw the animal or man. It was

moving through the forest. Then it moved faster, so it was in front of me. It was a man, a wild man, with dirty old clothes and very long hair. The man ran towards me, then fell to the ground. I stopped.

'Who are you?" I asked.

'Ben Gunn,' he answered. 'I'm poor Ben Gunn, and I haven't spoken to anyone for three years." His face was dark, burnt by the sun. His mouth was nearly black, but his eyes were bright blue. His clothes were old ship sails and the skin from wild goats.

"Three years?" I said. 'Did your ship go under the water in a storm?"

'No, friend,' he said. "Marooned". They marooned me. They left me here and sailed away. I've been alone these three years, with no food but fish and some fruit. Have you got any English food? I dream about cheese every night."

"There's cheese on board my ship,' I said.

"What's your name, mate? he asked.

"Jim Hawkins, I told him.

'You're a lucky lad", Jim. You found me, and I'm rich! I'll make you rich too, Jim, he stopped. 'But tell me about the ship, and tell me true. Is that Captain Flint's ship?"

'It's not Flint's ship, and Flint is dead, but I will tell you true. There are some of Flint's men on

that ship." Ben looked frightened. 'Not... a man with one leg?" he asked. 'Yes. Long John Silver, I said.

'Did Long John send you?" he asked. "Because if Long John finds me, I'm a dead man!" So I told him the story of our journey.

'Will your squire take me home?" he asked.

'I know he will, I said.

Ben Gunn told me his story, too.

'I was on Flint's ship,' he said. "We landed here, and Flint went to the island with six men and the treasure. They were six strong brave men, too. They were on the island for a week while we were waiting out on the ship. Then Flint came back, rowing a little boat. He was alone. The six men were dead. Dead and buried on the island. He killed them all. Just him against six. Billy Bones and Long

John Silver were the officers, and they asked him where the treasure was, but he never told them." He continued. 'So, three years ago I was on a different ship, and we passed by this island. 'Mates, I said. 'Flint's treasure is here. Let's land and find it.' Twelve days they searched for it, and they got angrier every day. On the last day, they went back to the ship. 'Ben Gunn,' they said. 'You can stay here and find

Flint's gold for yourself. Then they sailed away and marooned me here."

'Well, I said, 'the Hispaniola's out there, and now we're both here. But how are we going to get on board?"

'Ah,' said Ben. 'I have a secret. I've made a small boat. It's under the white rock at the end of the

beach We can try after