Treasure Island (Dramatized) recap

Jim Hawkins discovers a treasure map among the possessions of Billy Bones, an old sailor pursued by former members of Captain Flint's pirate crew. Doctor Livesey and Squire Trelawney equip the Hispaniola to seek the hoard, but their one-legged cook, Long John Silver, secretly leads much of the crew in mutiny. Jim overhears the plot, warns the loyal party, and meets the marooned Ben Gunn after reaching Treasure Island. The honest sailors defend an old stockade while Jim slips away, cuts the ship loose, and retakes it from the mutineers. Returning to the stockade, he falls into pirate hands, but Silver protects him while trying to preserve his own position. The treasure pit proves empty because Gunn had moved Flint's hoard to his cave. Livesey's party defeats the remaining pirates, takes the treasure, and sails home. Silver escapes during the return voyage with a small portion of the money, while Jim returns safely but remains troubled by memories of the island.

Jim Hawkins lives with his parents at the Admiral Benbow inn, where a scarred old sailor calling himself the captain takes a room and watches fearfully for a one-legged man. The sailor, Billy Bones, is confronted first by Black Dog and then by the blind pirate Pew, who gives him the black spot. Billy dies after receiving this summons, and Jim and his mother open his sea chest to recover the money owed to the inn. They escape as Pew's gang arrives to search the chest, and revenue officers scatter the pirates, killing Pew in the road. Among the papers Jim saves is a map marking the location of treasure buried by the notorious Captain Flint. Doctor Livesey and Squire Trelawney decide to mount an expedition, with Jim joining them as cabin boy while the squire finances a ship and crew.

Trelawney acquires the Hispaniola and hires a crew in Bristol, helped by Long John Silver, the genial one-legged landlord of the Spy-glass tavern who becomes the ship's cook. Captain Smollett objects that too many people know the secret purpose of the voyage, and he has the arms and trusted party rearranged for safety. Once at sea, Jim admires Silver's skill and friendliness. Hidden in an apple barrel near the end of the passage, however, Jim hears Silver explain that he served under Flint and now leads a planned mutiny. Many hands are already committed; the pirates intend to wait until the treasure is found before killing the honest men. Jim tells Livesey, Trelawney, and Smollett. Outnumbered and uncertain which sailors remain loyal, they agree to conceal their knowledge and wait for an opportunity as Treasure Island comes into sight.

Smollett allows part of the restless crew ashore, and Jim impulsively slips into one of their boats. On the island he secretly witnesses Silver murder the sailor Tom after Tom refuses to join the mutiny. Fleeing, Jim meets Ben Gunn, a former member of Flint's crew who has survived three years marooned on the island and hints that he can help in exchange for a passage home. Meanwhile, Livesey and the loyal party discover an old fenced stockade with a spring. They carry supplies ashore under fire and abandon the Hispaniola, bringing Trelawney's servants and the sailor Abraham Gray into the fort. Their overloaded boat sinks in the shallows, costing them many provisions. Trelawney's faithful servant Tom Redruth is killed during the retreat. Jim reaches the stockade by land and rejoins his friends, while the pirates retain control of the ship and the loyal group prepares to defend its new position.

Silver comes to the stockade under a flag of truce and offers the loyal party safe passage if they surrender Flint's map. Captain Smollett refuses and warns the mutineers that they have little hope of escaping justice. Silver's men then attack from several sides, crossing the fence and forcing a close fight inside the log house. The defenders repel them, killing or wounding a number of pirates, but the victory is costly: Joyce is killed, Hunter is mortally injured, and Smollett is badly wounded. Gray proves his loyalty in the fighting, while Jim and Trelawney also help drive the attackers out. The loyal party still holds the stockade and has inflicted serious losses, but only a handful of its defenders remain able to act while the captain recovers.

Without telling the others, Jim leaves the stockade, finds Ben Gunn's tiny handmade boat, and paddles out at night. He cuts the Hispaniola's anchor cable so the current carries her away from the pirates on shore. After a dangerous night adrift, he reaches the schooner and finds only Israel Hands alive aboard; another mutineer has been killed in a drunken struggle. Jim runs the ship toward a safe anchorage while Hands pretends to cooperate, then attacks him. Wounded, Jim shoots Hands and succeeds in securing the Hispaniola. Proud of having recovered the ship, he returns to the stockade after dark expecting to surprise his friends. Instead, Silver's parrot gives the alarm, and Jim discovers that the mutineers now occupy the fort. He is captured before he can escape, with no explanation yet for why Livesey's party has left.

Jim tells Silver that he warned the captain of the mutiny, cut the Hispaniola loose, and knows that both mutineers left aboard are dead. Silver protects him from the angry pirates, partly because the loss of the ship has weakened Silver's own position and he may need Jim as a hostage or ally. The mutineers give Silver the black spot and try to remove him as captain, but he restores his authority by producing Flint's treasure map, which Livesey has surrendered along with the stockade. When Livesey arrives to treat the sick and wounded pirates, he is astonished to find Jim captive. Silver allows Jim to speak privately with him, and Jim gives his word not to run away. Livesey urges Silver not to hurry the treasure hunt and warns him that danger lies ahead. Jim returns to the pirates as promised, while Silver increasingly looks to the loyal party as his possible means of survival.

Silver, Jim, and the pirates follow the map inland, finding signs of Flint's violence and becoming frightened by what seems to be the dead captain's voice. Ben Gunn is producing the sounds, and Silver keeps the party moving. At the marked site they find only an empty excavation: Gunn had discovered the treasure earlier and secretly carried it to his cave. The mutineers turn on Silver and Jim, but Livesey, Gray, and Gunn fire from concealment, killing the leaders and scattering the survivors. Silver changes sides again and helps the victors. The party transfers Flint's hoard from Gunn's cave to the recovered Hispaniola, leaves three surviving pirates on the island with supplies, and sails away. At a port on the journey home, Silver escapes with a small bag of money. Jim and the loyal survivors return safely and divide their shares; Gunn soon spends his, Gray advances himself, and Smollett retires. Jim remains haunted by the voyage and rejects the thought of returning for treasure still left on the island.

Ben Gunn has already found Flint's treasure and moved it from the empty pit to his cave, allowing Livesey's party to turn the pirates' hunt into an ambush. Silver abandons the mutineers and again places himself under the protection of Jim's friends. The surviving loyal party loads the treasure aboard the Hispaniola and leaves three mutineers on the island with supplies. During the voyage home, Silver escapes at a port with a small bag of coins. Jim, Livesey, Trelawney, Smollett, Gray, and Ben Gunn return safely and receive shares suited to their parts in the expedition. Gunn soon spends his fortune, Gray uses his reward to improve his position, and Smollett retires from the sea. Jim remains haunted by the island and has no desire to search for the silver still left there.