get rid of – I want to get rid of these old clothes because I never wear them.
run (a business) – She runs a small business with her sister.
unpleasant – The weather was cold and unpleasant all day.
set the table – Can you help me set the table before dinner?
unfriendly – The waiter was unfriendly and didn’t smile at all.
annoyed – He felt annoyed when the bus arrived late again.
straight to somewhere – After work, I went straight to the gym.
warning – The teacher gave us a warning about being late.
grab – The thief grabbed my bag and ran off with it.
threaten – The man threatened to call the police if they didn’t stop.
It was not long after this that the first strange events happened. These events finally got rid of the captain , although not of his troubles . It was a very cold winter, with strong winds , hard frost , and many powerful storms . From the start, it was clear that my poor father was very ill and would not live until spring. He became weaker every day, and my mother and I had to run the inn* by ourselves. We were so busy that we had little time to think about our unpleasant guest, the captain .
One early January morning, when it was freezing outside, the captain got up before usual and went down to the beach. Everything was grey, and the sea was calm , the waves breaking softly on the stones. The sun was low, shining on the hills around.. The captain walked heavily , with his sword hanging under his old blue coat and his telescope under his arm. I remember seeing his breath like smoke in the cold air. As he passed the big rock that was down on the beach, I heard him make an annoyed sound, as if he was still thinking about his conversation with Doctor Livesey.
My mother was upstairs with my father, and I was setting the table for breakfast. Suddenly , the living-room door opened, and a man came in who I had never seen before. He had a pale face, and two fingers were missing from his left hand. He wore a sword , but he did not look like a fighter . He was not obviously a sailor , but he still had something sea-like about him.
I asked him what he would like to eat or drink. He said he wanted rum, which I served him. But before I could leave the room, he sat on the table and called me over .
'Come here, son,' he said. 'Come a bit closer.'
I stepped forward.
'Is this table for my mate , Bill?' he asked, smiling in an unfriendly way.
'I don’t know any Bill,' I replied . 'Only a man they call Captain .'
'Well,' he said, 'my mate , Bill, is often called captain . He has a cut on his cheek —on the right one. Is he here?'
'He’s staying here. Yes, sir. But he’s not here right now. He went for a walk.'
'Which way did he go?'
I showed him the rock and told him the captain would soon come back .
'I have some good news for my mate , Bill,' he said.
I did not like the look on his face. The man waited near the door, watching like a cat. When I tried to step outside, he shouted at me and suddenly became very annoyed . Then he changed his voice again and spoke more kindly .
'I have a son like you,' he said. 'But boys need to do as they’re told. If you had sailed with Bill, you would move fast when spoken to.'
Just then, he saw the captain coming back.
'There he is,' he said. 'Let’s hide and give him a surprise.'
He pushed me behind the door. I was very frightened , and I could see that he was nervous too. He had his hand on his sword .
The captain entered and walked straight to the table.
'Bill,' said the stranger .
The captain turned and went white with fear .
'Black Dog!' he cried.
'Yes,' said the stranger. 'Your old shipmate*.'
'What do you want?' said the captain .
'Let’s sit down and talk honestly ,' said Black Dog. 'Like old friends.'
I brought the rum, and they sat at the table. I was told to leave the door open and go away.
Soon their voices grew louder .
'No, no!' shouted the captain.
Then there was a loud crash , swords hitting each other, and suddenly Black Dog ran out, bleeding . The captain followed him, but Black Dog had escaped .
The captain came back inside, shaking .
'Jim,' he said, 'bring me rum!'
Before I returned, he fell to the floor. My mother came running in, and soon Doctor Livesey arrived.
'He is not injured ,' said the doctor. 'He has had a heart attack , just as I warned him.'
I helped Dr Livesey to get the captain up the stairs and into his room. We lay him on his bed. 'If you drink much more rum," said the doctor, 'you will die an early death .'
Later that day, I brought the captain his medicine . He looked weak, but he couldn’t keep still .
'Jim,' he said, 'you’ve always been good to me. Why don’t you bring me one small glass of rum?'
'The doctor said you shouldn’t have any,' I began.
'He knows nothing about sailors ,' the captain said. 'Without rum, I’ll have nightmares . I’ll pay you well if you bring me some.'
'I don’t want your money,' I said. 'One glass only.'
He drank it straight down.
'They’ll come for me,' he said. 'They want the sea chest - that box I keep over there. If they give me the black spot , you must ride to Doctor Livesey and tell him to call the authorities .'
'The Black Spot? What’s that?' I asked.
'A warning ,' he said. 'A message.'
Soon after that, he fell asleep.
That evening, my father died quite
suddenly
, and everything else was forgotten...
--------------------------------------------
The next day, the captain walked around the inn. He looked weak but he was still drinking. He became more violent , singing his old sea songs.
The day after they buried my father, on a cold and foggy afternoon, I saw a blind man coming toward the inn*. He wore old clothes and walked with a stick .
'Can someone help a poor blind man?' he called out.
'You are at the Admiral Benbow,' I said.'Could I help you?'
'Take my hand,' he said.
When I did, he grabbed me with great strength .
'Take me to the captain ,' he said.
'I am frightened to,' I replied .
'Do it,' he said, threatening me. 'Or I’ll strike you, boy, with this stick!'
I realised I had little choice . I led him inside.
'When you see him,' he whispered , 'say, ‘Here is a friend for you, Bill.’'
Shaking with fear , I opened the door and did exactly as the blind man had ordered .
When the captain saw the visitor, he was suddenly more awake and the effects of alcohol left him immediately. The blind man reached out his hand for the captain to take something he had hidden there. The moment the captain took the object , the blind man said,
‘Now it is done!’ and he left the room surprisingly quickly. He ran down the stairs and out into the street.
The captain opened his hand and looked at what he was holding . A piece of paper with a mark on it.
‘Ten o’clock!’ he shouted. ‘Six hours!’ He jumped to his feet.
‘There is still time. There is still time!’
But at that moment, the captain’s eyes closed and he fell on his face right where he was.
I looked down at the body and knew he was dead. He had died of a heart attack just like Dr Livesey said he would.
I don’t really know why but tears fell down my cheeks .
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