We came to the inn，and Ransome led us upthe stairs. In a small room，a tall，dark，serious manwas sitting by a great coal fire. He wore a thick sea- jacket，and a cap over his ears. This was CaptainHoseason.
The captain shook hands with Uncle Ebenezer.
“Your room is ve ry hot，”my uncle said.
“I ha ve c old blood，s ir，”the captain replied.“Iha ve s a ile d to hot countrie s for ma ny ye a rs .”
The two men sat down to examine some papers.
My uncle turned to me.
“Why don ’t you go out for a short time ？”hesaid.
The heat of the room was making me sick.
Outside there was the wouderful sea. I forgot that Iought to watch my uncle and his tricks. I was notvery wise. I went out.
我們來到那家旅店，蘭塞姆把我們領到樓上。一間小屋子裏，生著一堆熊熊的煤火，火邊坐著一個皮膚黝黑、麵色嚴肅的大漢。他身穿厚厚的水手上衣，帽子拉下來蓋住了耳朵。這就是霍西森船長。
船長和叔父握了握手。
“你的屋子太熱了。”叔父說。
“我的血是冷的，先生。多年來，我總在熱帶國家航行。”船長回答說。
他們倆坐下來看一些字據。叔父轉身對我說：
“你為什麼不出去轉一會兒呢?”
屋子裏熱得我簡直想嘔吐，外麵卻是令人神往的大海。我忘掉了自己應該盯住叔父，注意他玩什麼花招，就走出房間。這件事我幹得有點蠢。
I walked down to the shore and looked at thewaves. The smell of the sea water was very salty.
The Covenant was spreading her sails. The scenemade me imagine far voyages and foreign places.
我走到海灘上去看海浪。海水發出一股濃烈的鹹味。“契約”號正在張帆。這幅景象引起我許多浮想，我想到遙遠的航行和異國他鄉。
I looked，too，at the seamen with the skiff.
They were big brown fellows，some in shirts，somewith jackets. All had knives. I spoke to one ofthem，but be used many bad words. So I went backto the inn.
I gave Ransome some beer. We sat at a tablein the front room downstairs.
“Do you know Mr Ra nke illor？”I said to thelandlord of the inn.
“I know him we ll，”he replied.“He ’s a ve ryhone s t ma n. Did you come in with Eb e ne ze r？”
“Ye s ，”I said.
“Are you a re la tion？”the landlord asked.“Youlo ok like Mr Ale xa n de r.”
I did not answer this，but I said.“Ebe ne z e r isnot ve ry popula r ，is he ?”
“No，he is n’t. He ’s a ba d old ma n . A lo t of pe opleha te him，J e nne t Clous ton a nd othe rs . He drovethem out of the ir home s . Ye t he wa s once a fineyoung fe llow. But the re wa s a s tory a bout Mr Ale xa nder ，a nd tha t ha rme d him.”
我也瞅了瞅小艇上的那幾個水手。他們都是些彪形大漢，皮膚是古銅色的，有的穿著襯衫，有的穿著上衣，身上都帶著刀子。我跟其中一個聊了幾句，可是他滿口都是髒話，所以我又回旅店去了。