The Treasure-Hunt – The Voice Among the Trees

• The pirates stop to take a rest after reaching the top of the hill.
• Tom Morgan says he's not feeling well; he's still thinking about Captain Flint.
• They start talking about the pirate captain again.
• Suddenly a high voice somewhere in the trees starts singing, "Fifteen men on the dead man's chest/ Yo ho ho, and a bottle of rum!" (32.9).
• The six pirates truly freak out – Tom Morgan actually falls to the ground.
• Long John Silver is pale and frightened, but he tells the other pirates it's just someone messing around.
• Then the voice calls, "Fetch aft the rum, Darby!" (32.14).
• Apparently, these were Flint's last words.
• Long John Silver won't let the other terrified pirates turn back.
• He points out that the call had an echo – and no spirit voice echoes, does it?
• George Merry seems comforted by Long John Silver's observation.
• They realize that the voice doesn't sound like Captain Flint at all – it sounds like Ben Gunn!
• George Merry says no one cares about the ghost of Ben Gunn. So all the pirates seem to feel much better, and they continue on.
• Dick Johnson is still holding his Bible fearfully, and Long John Silver makes fun of him for it.
• Finally they reach the three tall pines where the treasure is buried.
• Thinking he's about to find a vast treasure, Long John Silver looks menacingly at Jim.
• Jim realizes that if the pirates find the treasure, Long John Silver may not honor the treaty he struck with Doctor Livesey.
• Dick Johnson has started babbling – he's caught a bad fever and he's becoming incoherent.
• Then they find something that's a complete shock: the treasure has already been dug up!