How I cursed the cowardice of the neighbours ; how I blamed my poor mother for her honesty and her greed , for her past foolhardiness and present weakness ! We were just at the little bridge , by good fortune ; and I helped her , tottering as she was , to the edge of the bank , where , sure enough , she gave a sigh and fell on my shoulder . I do not know how I found the strength to do it at all , and I am afraid it was roughly done , but I managed to drag her down the bank and a little way under the arch . Farther I could not move her , for the bridge was too low to let me do more than crawl below it . So there we had to stay -- my mother almost entirely exposed and both of us within earshot of the inn . 5 The Last of the Blind Man MY curiosity , in a sense , was stronger than my fear , for I could not remain where I was , but crept back to the bank again , whence , sheltering my head behind a bush of broom , I might command the road before our door . I was scarcely in position ere my enemies began to arrive , seven or eight of them , running hard , their feet beating out of time along the road and the man with the lantern some paces in front . Three men ran together , hand in hand ; and I made out , even through the mist , that the middle man of this trio was the blind beggar . The next moment his voice showed me that I was right . `` Down with the door ! '' he cried . `` Aye , aye , sir ! '' answered two or three ; and a rush was made upon the Admiral Benbow , the lantern-bearer following ; and then I could see them pause , and hear speeches passed in a lower key , as if they were surprised to find the door open . But the pause was brief , for the blind man again issued his commands . His voice sounded louder and higher , as if he were afire with eagerness and rage . `` In , in , in ! '' he shouted , and cursed them for their delay . Four or five of them obeyed at once , two remaining on the road with the formidable beggar . There was a pause , then a cry of surprise , and then a voice shouting from the house , `` Bill 's dead . '' But the blind man swore at them again for their delay .
`` Search him , some of you shirking lubbers , and the rest of you aloft and get the chest , '' he XXXXX .
answered crept cried ere helped issued know see shouting tottering