Chapter 31

Unexpected Company

We walked ten feet north, and then turned, and walked three feet east, when we came to a tree whose trunk was bent in the middle. We saw the ground had been moved around a bit, but we just thought it had been the wind.

"Ay, this has got to be it," cried Silver, "Flint's treasure will finally be mine -- I mean ours."

The mutineers grumbled in a mix of agreement and displeasure, each wanting the treasure for themselves. Just when we were about to begin digging, a shadow appeared on the ground. We turned, and saw a pirate I had never seen before. He had on a brown hat over long hair with beads in it. He had on boots and a long coat. He was holding a pistol and had a sword in his belt.

"Back away!" he exclaimed. "This treasure is mine! I found these coins first, so they are in my possession."

"We have the map, from Captain Flint himself," explained Silver.

"I do not know who this Flint fellow is, but I do know that the treasure is rightfully mine!" said the mystery pirate.

"Well, I don't even know who you are, and what right you have to be here?"

"The name's Captain Jack Sparrow," he said with a flourish. "And I," he said while walking over and lifting up the chest and setting it on the sand, "am here to claim this wonderful treasure."

"Not if I have anything to say about it!" said Silver, drawing his sword.

"I'm not afraid of you!" said Sparrow, drawing his own sword from his belt. "Take that!"

He took a step forward, but while he was doing so, tripped over the treasure chest and fell on his face.

"Umphhf," he mumbled, his mouth full of sand. He stood up and shook the sand off his britches.

"You're about the worst pirate I've ever heard of!" said Silver, giving Jack Sparrow a pityingly look.

"But you have heard of me," said Sparrow with a smirk.

"Enough of these shenanigans," said Silver, "we have treasure at stake!"

They both got into a fighting stance, and then with a few seconds of staring each other down, Silver sprang forward for the first move. Jack Sparrow's reflexes were better than his coordination and he quickly moved out of the way, swiping with his own sword. The fight went on for several minutes with minor damage on either side when another strange man came running from the water. I ran up to the water's edge to tell him that it would not be wise to interrupt a fight with Long John Silver, who could kill a man with his crutch. The man seemed to be yelling something in the direction of Captain Sparrow.

"Jack! Jack!" he yelled, "Elizabeth is in trouble!"

He kept running toward Jack Sparrow and yelling about some woman named Elizabeth. He finally caught Jack's attention, and Jack ducked under Silver's sword to run over.

"What is the matter, Will?" Jack asked.

"Elizabeth has been captured by Davy Jones, in debt for you not giving him 100 souls," Will said.

"Oh dear," Jack replied, "This isn't good."

"What are you talking about?" asked Silver, "Who are you and who is this Elizabeth?"

"My name is Will Turner, sir," said Will, "and Elizabeth is my fiancée."

"Pleased to make your acquaintance," said Silver, "but what is this about Davy Jones? He is just a fictional character in sea tales."

"Davy Jones is definitely not a sea fable," replied Jack, "He is as real as me and you."

"Jack, we really need to go help Elizabeth. I have a bad feeling that Davy Jones is not treating her nicely," complained Will.

"I'm busy right now, Will," sighed Jack. "I have a treasure at stake and I'm not about to lose it to save your sweetheart."

"But Jack, she is your friend!" cried Will, "You can't let her die."

"True, but I can…," said Jack slyly, "…go take the treasure!"

Jack Sparrow ran to grab the treasure, and got a big head start against the one-legged Long John Silver, who was hobbling to catch up. The whole crew, which had migrated toward the scene, ran back with him, while I stayed behind with Turner. When I turned around to face him, I saw he had tears running down his face.

"What's the matter?" I asked him.

"It's so typical of him," cried Will, "to put himself ahead of others — even his friends!"

"You're not alone," I answered, "Silver is definitely not the most compassionate captain either."

"Well," he said, while drying his eyes on his shirt, "we better go make sure our friends are lying on the ground dead."

I chuckled and started to walk in the direction of the treasure when I saw a peculiar sight. Jack Sparrow was carrying the chest above his head, and running toward a pirate ship with ratty black sails that I had not seen before.

"The Black Pearl," muttered Will.

"The what?" I asked.

"Jack's ship that he got from a Captain Barbossa,"

"Never heard of him," I said with a shrug.

"Well, I better go with Jack and try to convince him to help get out of the mess with Davy Jones," Will said. "Good bye . . . I'm sorry but I never got your name."

"It's Jim, Jim Hawkins," I replied.

"Well, so long, Jim Hawkins,"

"Goodbye, Will Turner."

Will turned and started to run to catch up with Jack Sparrow who wasn't running very fast because of the huge chest he was carrying. When he caught up with him, they ran together to the Black Pearl and climbed up the rope ladder, while the crew hoisted up the chest. Silver was now barely sprinting to catch up with them and just let them go, a strange thing for the invincible Long John Silver to do. The Black Pearl's crew hoisted anchor and started to sail away. Long John Silver looked on in anguish and he ordered the crew to get ready to board the Hispaniola, so we could sail back to Bristol. Since that voyage, I have never been on such an adventure since, nor have I heard of Will Turner or Captain Jack Sparrow, but I have a feeling that won't be the last time I get such unexpected company from them.