He was raising his arm and his voice, ready to lead them, but there was a sudden CRACK! CRACK! CRACK! as three gunshots came from the woods George Merry fell head first in to the hole, and another fell on his side, dead The other three turned and ran.

At the same time he began to move quietly and, after a few steps, the hole was between us and the other five. He looked quite friendly now, and I couldn't help whispering, "So you've changed sides again!"

"Two guineas!" shouted George Merry, shaking it at Silver. "That's your seven hundred thousand pounds! You're the man for bargains, are you? You're the one who never made a mistake!"

The pirates could not believe it, but Silver remained calm and changed his plan quickly.

But this time, everyone was on George Merry's side, and they began to climb out of the hole.

"Jim," he whispered, "take that, and be ready for trouble." And he passed me a pistol.

"Wanting to be captain again, George?" said Silver.

"There's just the two of them," said George. "The old one-legged man who brought us all here for nothing; and that boy who I'm going to have the heart of!"

The pirates began to jump into the hole, and to dig in the ground with their fingers. Morgan found a two-guinea coin, and it went from hand to hand.

A moment later, Dr Livesey, Gray, and Ben Gunn joined us with smoking guns, from among the trees.

"Doctor!" he shouted. "There's no hurry! Look!"

We began to run at a great speed through the trees, and Silver was soon thirty metres behind us.

"Keep them off the boats!" cried the doctor.

We walked down the hill to the boats and, as we did so, the doctor told Silver and me his story. But it was really Ben's story from beginning to end.

Ben, in his lonely walks around the island, had found the skeleton and found the treasure. He had carried the gold on his back in many journeys, and had taken it to a cave on the north-east corner of the island, two months before the Hispaniola arrived.

We saw he was right. In a more open place, we could see the three pirates, still running, and we were already between them and the Boats. So we sat down to rest while Long John came slowly up to us.

"Thank you, doctor," he said. "You came at the right time to save me and Hawkins." He looked at Ben Gunn. "So it was you, Ben Gunn, playing the ghost!"

By this time, we were at the boats. The doctor smashed one with an axe, and then we all got into the other and rowed to North Inlet. The Hispaniola was moving by herself now, the sea high enough to take her off the beach. We went round to Rum Cove, the nearest landing place for Ben Gunn's cave of treasure, then Gray left us there before rowing back to guard the ship for the night.

"I was lucky Hawkins was with me," said Silver, "or old John would be dead by now, for sure."

Mr Trelawney met us at the cave. He didn't blame me for my desertion, but he spoke differently to Silver. "Silver," he said, "you're a scoundrel and a murderer, but I'm told that I must save you from the law."

Ben had told the doctor this, and the next morning the doctor gave Silver the map -- which was now useless -- and gave him the food at the stockade, because there was plenty in Ben Gunn's cave. That morning, when the doctor saw I had to go with the pirates to find the treasure, he had left the squire to look after the captain, then took Gray and Ben Gunn with him to be ready to help us.

"Thank you, sir," replied Long John.

We all entered the cave. It was large and pleasant, with fresh water coming from a place in the ground, and a floor of sand. Captain Smollett lay in front of a big fire, and in a corner I saw coins and gold bars. It was Flint's treasure!

Next morning, we moved all the gold to the beach. Then we took it by boat to the Hispaniola. It was a big job for so small a number of men.

We had come so far to find this. Already it had cost the lives of seventeen men from the Hispaniola. And how many others? How many ships had gone to the bottom of the sea? How many brave men had been murdered for this? Perhaps no man alive could tell.

"I don't want your thanks!" cried the squire.

Then at last, one sunny morning, we sailed out of North Inlet and towards the nearest port in Spanish America. Before afternoon, Treasure Island had disappeared from view, and I had never felt happier to leave a place behind.

The three pirates who were still on the island did not trouble us. They were not going to fight any more, and we decided we must leave them on the island. We left powder, food, clothes and medicine for them.

I think we were all pleased to lose the scoundrel at so small a price.

"Silver has gone," he told us, "but not empty-handed. He's taken one of the bags of coins, perhps worth three or four hundred guineas."

We found a crew for the ship at the port, and then had a good voyage home. Only five of the men who had sailed from Bristol with the Hispaniola returned with her. We all took a large piece of the treasure, and some used it sensibly, and some did not.

The sun was going down when we sailed into the port, and the doctor and Mr Trelawney took me on shore. When we came back, Ben Gunn was waiting for us.

Captain Smollett no longer goes to sea. Gray saved his money and is now half-owner and captain of a fine ship. Ben Gunn got a thousand pounds which he spent or lost in three weeks, then he came begging and was given a job as a gatekeeper.

Of Silver we have heard no more. That frightening seaman with one leg has. gone out of my lift. I will never return to Treasure Island, but in my worst dreams I still hear the sharp, high scream of Captain Flint the parrot: "Pieces of eight! Pieces of eight!"