After breakfast, the pirates prepared to hunt for the treasure. Silver tied a rope around my waist and held the other end. 'You're coming with us, Jim,' he said. The six of us set off into the forest. Silver used the map to guide our direction. The treasure was buried near the tallest tree on the island. We had to find a skeleton first as a marker. The pirates were excited and moved quickly through the trees. Suddenly, one of them stopped and pointed. 'Look there! A skeleton!' It lay stretched out on the ground, its arms pointing straight. 'This is one of Flint's jokes,' Silver muttered. 'He killed this man and laid him pointing to the treasure.' The pirates grew nervous at the mention of their dead captain. Even Silver looked uncomfortable. We followed the direction the skeleton pointed. The forest grew darker and the ground more difficult. Then a strange sound came floating through the trees. It was a voice, singing the old pirate song. 'Fifteen men on a dead man's chest...' The pirates turned white with terror. 'It's Flint's ghost!' one of them cried. Even Silver looked shaken, though he tried to hide it. 'Ghosts can't sing,' he said firmly. 'That's a living man playing tricks on us.' I recognized the voice as Ben Gunn's. The marooned man was trying to frighten the pirates. Silver pushed forward, and the others followed reluctantly. We climbed a small hill and came to a large tree. 'This is the spot!' Silver announced, checking the map. The pirates rushed forward with their shovels. They dug into the earth eagerly. But after a few inches, they hit nothing but rocks. They dug wider and deeper, finding only dirt. Then one of them found something in the hole. It was an empty wooden chest, broken and old. Beside it lay a few gold coins, scattered in the dirt. 'Two guineas!' George screamed with rage. 'Seven hundred thousand pounds, and we find two guineas!' The treasure was gone! Someone had already dug it up. The pirates turned on Silver with murder in their eyes. 'You led us here for nothing!' George snarled. Silver quickly handed me a pistol. 'Stand ready, Jim,' he whispered. The five pirates raised their weapons. Just then, three rifle shots rang out from the trees. Two pirates fell dead, and the others fled in terror. Doctor Livesey, Ben Gunn, and the squire emerged from the forest. They were armed and smiling. 'Just in time, I think,' said the doctor. Silver bowed politely as if nothing had happened. 'Thank you kindly, Doctor,' he said. Ben Gunn grinned wildly at everyone. 'I found the treasure months ago!' he announced proudly. 'I dug it up and moved it to my cave.' That was why the doctor had given Silver the map. He knew the treasure was no longer there. I laughed with relief and joy. The treasure was safe, and so were we. 'Come,' said the doctor. 'Let's go see the treasure.'
B1Chapter 11 / 12499 words60 sentences
Chapter 11: The Treasure Hunt
Chapter 11 · Treasure Island · B1 English. Tip: Click on any word while reading to see its translation. Take your time with each chapter and review the vocabulary before moving on.
Chapter Summary
Silver leads the pirates to find the treasure, taking Jim as prisoner. They discover a skeleton pointing the way and hear a ghostly voice singing. At the treasure site, they find only an empty hole - the gold is gone! As the furious pirates turn on Silver, Doctor Livesey and Ben Gunn arrive to save them.
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Comprehension Questions
4 questions
1
What did the pirates find at the spot marked on the treasure map?
2
What frightened the pirates during their search for the treasure?
3
Who had moved the treasure before the pirates arrived?
4