The captain lay in bed for several days after his stroke. He was weak but demanded rum constantly. 'One glass won't kill me,' he begged my mother. My mother refused, remembering the doctor's warning. Meanwhile, my poor father grew weaker each day. One sad morning, he passed away quietly in his sleep. My mother and I were overcome with grief. We had to prepare for the funeral while still running the inn. On the day after the funeral, a strange thing happened. I was standing at the door when I saw a blind man approaching. He tapped the road with a stick, moving slowly toward the inn. He wore a green shade over his eyes and a tattered sea cloak. His back was bent, and he looked old and frail. 'Will any kind friend tell a poor blind man where he is?' he called out. 'You are at the Admiral Benbow inn,' I answered. 'Give me your hand, young man,' the blind man said. I held out my hand, and he grabbed it with a grip like iron. 'Now take me to the captain, or I'll break your arm!' he hissed. I was terrified and led him straight to the captain's room. The captain was sitting up in bed, weak and pale. When he saw the blind man, his face filled with terror. 'Now, Bill, sit where you are,' said the blind man. 'I cannot see, but I can hear a finger move.' 'Hold out your left hand,' the blind man ordered. The captain obeyed, trembling with fear. The blind man pressed something small into the captain's palm. 'And now that's done,' the blind man said cheerfully. He quickly released my arm and left the inn. I could hear his stick tapping away down the road. The captain opened his hand and looked at what was there. It was a small piece of paper, black on one side. 'The black spot!' the captain cried in horror. He turned it over and read what was written on the other side. 'They're coming at ten o'clock tonight!' he gasped. He tried to stand up but suddenly clutched his throat. He swayed for a moment, then crashed to the floor. I ran to him and called for my mother. But it was too late; the captain was dead. The shock of the black spot had stopped his heart. My mother knelt beside the body, pale and shaking. 'What shall we do, Jim?' she asked. I remembered what the captain had said about ten o'clock. Someone was coming for him, and they would come to our inn. 'Mother, the captain owed us money,' I said. 'Let us take what he owes from his sea chest.' My mother agreed, for we needed the money badly. I found the key to the chest hanging around the captain's neck. With trembling hands, I opened the heavy wooden chest. Inside, we found clothes, tobacco, and two pistols. At the bottom was a bag of coins and a bundle wrapped in oilcloth. My mother began counting the coins to take only what was owed. But the coins were from many different countries. Counting them took a long time. Suddenly, we heard a sound that made our blood freeze. It was the tap-tap-tap of the blind man's stick on the road. 'Quick, Jim!' my mother whispered urgently. I grabbed the oilcloth bundle and stuffed it in my pocket. My mother took the coins she had counted. We ran out the back door into the cold night air. The sound of many footsteps and angry voices grew closer behind us.
B1Chapter 2 / 12599 words60 sentences
Chapter 2: The Black Spot
Chapter 2 · 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
After Jim's father dies, a terrifying blind man arrives at the inn and delivers the black spot to the captain - a pirate death sentence. The captain dies of shock, and Jim and his mother search his sea chest for the money owed them. They find mysterious papers and flee just as pirates arrive.
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Comprehension Questions
4 questions
1
What did the blind man give to the captain?
2
Why did Jim and his mother search the captain's sea chest?
3
How did the captain die?
4