Jim Hawkins and Mr. Dance rode their horses fast. They stopped in front of the house of Dr. Livesey. The front of the house was dark. Mr. Dance told Jim Hawkins to jump down. A man named Dogger helped Jim Hawkins get off the horse. Jim Hawkins knocked on the door. A maid (a woman who works in a house) opened the door quickly.
Jim Hawkins asked if Dr. Livesey was home. The maid said that Dr. Livesey was not there. Dr. Livesey went to the big house to eat dinner with the Squire (a rich man who owns a lot of land). The Squire’s name was Mr. Trelawney.
The big house was not far away. Jim Hawkins did not get back on the horse. Jim Hawkins ran next to the horses. They went through a large gate and up a long road. There were many old trees. Finally, they saw the large white house. Mr. Dance got off his horse. Mr. Dance and Jim Hawkins went inside the house.
A servant led them down a long hall. They went into a very large library. There were many books and statues in the room. Squire Trelawney and Dr. Livesey sat near a bright fire. They both had pipes in their hands.
Jim Hawkins looked at Squire Trelawney. Jim Hawkins never saw him from a close distance before. Squire Trelawney was a very tall man. He was more than six feet tall. He had a red face with many lines from his travels. He had very black eyebrows. Squire Trelawney looked like a man who could get angry very quickly.
"Come in, Mr. Dance," Squire Trelawney said in a serious voice.
"Good evening, Dance," Dr. Livesey said. "And hello, Jim Hawkins. Why are you here tonight?"
Mr. Dance stood up very straight. Mr. Dance told the whole story to the two gentlemen. Squire Trelawney and Dr. Livesey listened carefully. They leaned forward and looked at each other. They were so surprised that they forgot to smoke their pipes.
When Mr. Dance spoke about Jim’s mother, Dr. Livesey was very happy. Squire Trelawney shouted, "Bravo!" Squire Trelawney was so excited that he broke his pipe. Squire Trelawney stood up and walked around the room. Dr. Livesey took off his wig (fake hair that people wore in the past). Dr. Livesey had very short black hair under the wig.
Finally, Mr. Dance finished the story. Squire Trelawney said that Mr. Dance was a very brave man. Squire Trelawney said that Jim Hawkins was a wonderful boy. Squire Trelawney told Jim Hawkins to ring a bell. A servant came, and Squire Trelawney ordered some ale (a type of beer) for Mr. Dance.
"And so, Jim," Dr. Livesey said. "You have the thing that the pirates wanted. Is that right?"
"Yes, sir. Here it is," Jim Hawkins said. Jim Hawkins gave Dr. Livesey the oilskin packet (a small bag made of cloth and oil to keep out water).
Dr. Livesey looked at the packet. He really wanted to open it. But Dr. Livesey did not open it yet. Dr. Livesey put the packet quietly into his pocket. Dr. Livesey told Mr. Dance that he could leave. But Dr. Livesey wanted Jim Hawkins to stay.
"Jim Hawkins must sleep at my house tonight," Dr. Livesey said. "But first, he must eat some supper."
"I agree," Squire Trelawney said. "Jim Hawkins did a great job today."
A servant brought a large pie. Jim Hawkins was very hungry. Jim Hawkins ate a big meal while Mr. Dance left the house.
"Now, Squire," Dr. Livesey said.
"Now, Livesey," Squire Trelawney said.
Dr. Livesey laughed. "Wait," Dr. Livesey said. "Do you know about Captain Flint?"
"I know him very well!" Squire Trelawney cried. "He was the worst pirate on the sea. He was very cruel. Everyone was afraid of Captain Flint. I saw his ship once near the islands of Trinidad. The captain of my ship was a coward and ran away from him."
"I heard about him too," Dr. Livesey said. "But did Captain Flint have money?"
"Money!" Squire Trelawney shouted. "Pirates only care about money. They do dangerous things for money. Of course he had money!"
"We will know the truth soon," Dr. Livesey said. "But you are very excited. Let me speak. If I have a map in my pocket, is the treasure a large amount?"
"A large amount?" Squire Trelawney cried. "If we have a map, I will buy a ship in the city of Bristol. I will take you and Jim Hawkins with me. I will find that treasure even if I search for a whole year!"
"Very well," Dr. Livesey said. "Let’s open the packet." Dr. Livesey put the packet on the table.
The packet was closed with many stitches. Dr. Livesey took out his medical scissors and cut the string. Inside the packet, there were two things. There was a book and a paper with a seal (a mark made with wax to keep a paper closed).
"First, we will look at the book," Dr. Livesey said.
Squire Trelawney and Jim Hawkins looked over the doctor's shoulder. On the first page, there were some short notes. Someone practiced writing names. Jim Hawkins saw the name "Billy Bones." There were also words like "No more rum." Jim Hawkins did not understand all the words.
Dr. Livesey turned the pages. For the next twenty pages, there were dates and amounts of money. There were also many crosses. One note said "June 12, 1745." Next to the date, there was a large amount of money. Sometimes there was the name of a place. At the end of the book, there was a total number. It said, "Bones’s Pile."
"I do not understand this," Dr. Livesey said.
"It is very clear!" Squire Trelawney cried. "This is the pirate’s account book. The crosses are for the ships that they robbed. The money is the share for Billy Bones. See here? They robbed a ship near the coast of Caracas."
"You are right!" Dr. Livesey said. "The amounts of money become larger as the years pass."
At the end of the book, there were some notes about the value of French and Spanish money. Billy Bones was a very careful man with his money.
"And now," Squire Trelawney said. "Let’s look at the other paper."
Dr. Livesey opened the seals very carefully. A map of an island fell out. The map showed the names of hills and bays. It showed how deep the water was. It had all the details to bring a ship safely to the land. The island was nine miles long. It looked like a fat dragon. There was a hill in the middle called "The Spy-glass."
Jim Hawkins saw three crosses made with red ink. Two crosses were in the north. One cross was in the southwest. Near the third cross, someone wrote: "Most of the treasure is here."
On the back of the map, there were more notes. The notes told the sailors how to find the treasure. They talked about a tall tree and a skeleton. They also said that the silver and the guns were hidden in different places. The notes were signed with the letters "J.F."
Squire Trelawney and Dr. Livesey were very happy.
"Livesey," Squire Trelawney said. "You must stop being a doctor now. Tomorrow I will go to Bristol. In three weeks, we will have the best ship and the best crew in England. Jim Hawkins will be the cabin-boy (a boy who works on a ship). You will be the ship’s doctor. I will be the leader. We will find the money and be very rich!"
"I will go with you," Dr. Livesey said. "And I am sure Jim Hawkins will go too. But I am afraid of one man."
"Who is it?" Squire Trelawney cried. "Tell me his name!"
"I am afraid of you," Dr. Livesey replied. "You talk too much. We are not the only people who know about this paper. The pirates at the inn tonight want this money. We must be very careful. We must not go alone. And we must not tell anyone about the map."
"You are right, Livesey," Squire Trelawney said. "I will be silent. I will not say a word."