Treasure Island XXXII Summary
The Treasure-hunt—Voice Among Trees
The party climbs toward the Spy-glass, hears a mysterious voice singing and calling, reaches the tall tree bearings, and finds the treasure pit already rifled.
Summary
Jim and the crew—led by Long John Silver and including George Merry, Dick (Richard Joyce), Morgan and others—pause on a tilted plateau beneath the Spy-glass to rest and take bearings toward the tall trees that mark the treasure's location. From this vantage they command wide sea and island views; Silver uses his compass and explains the line of the three tall trees that should indicate the cache. Conversation turns to the grim memory of Flint and his blue-faced death, lowering the men's voices and mood.
Out of the wood comes a thin, high voice that strikes up the old buccaneer song, “Fifteen men on the dead man's chest…,” terrifying the pirates into frozen fright. The voice breaks off; it speaks again, calling “Darby M’Graw” and demanding rum. The men interpret this as a supernatural sign—some even naming Flint or Ben Gunn—until Silver tries to reason by pointing out an echo. The argument restores courage, and the party resumes the march, greed overtaking fear as the thought of seven hundred thousand pounds in gold draws them on. As they near the third tall tree, spirits shift to eager haste, and Jim senses Silver’s growing murderous intent. At the tree they find an excavation already opened, with a broken pick and packing-case boards, one branded Walrus—proof that the treasure has been dug and taken: the seven hundred thousand pounds are gone.
Key events
- The party rests on the plateau beneath the Spy-glass; Silver takes compass bearings.
- A distant voice sings the pirate song and later calls 'Darby M’Graw,' terrifying the men.
- Silver argues the sound had an echo, calming some and reviving their courage.
- Greed drives the men toward the third tall tree where the treasure should lie.
- They find a dug pit with tools and a Walrus-branded board— the cache has been rifled.
Analysis
This chapter shifts the novel from tension about past crimes to immediate crisis and loss. The eerie singing and the mysterious hail invoke supernatural dread tied to Flint’s legacy, showing how myth and memory exert power over the living crew. Stevenson uses the voice among the trees to expose differing responses: superstition, religious fear (Dick/ Richard Joyce praying), pragmatic skepticism (Silver’s echo argument), and ultimately avarice that overrides other concerns. The scene develops Silver’s complexity: he can play on fear, yet he also indulges ruthlessness and single-minded greed—his physical crutch, rattling teeth, and furtive glances at Jim underline his dangerous cunning. Structurally, the chapter functions as the climax of the island search—the revelation that the treasure is already gone is a dramatic reversal that propels the plot into crisis and forces characters to confront the consequences of past betrayals.
Symbolically, the Spy-glass and the tall tree act as fixed, navigational certainties (compass, bearings) that contrast with the unstable human elements—voices, superstition, and shifting loyalties. The discovery of the Walrus brand ties present events back to Flint’s crew and history, stressing continuity between past crime and present misfortune. The narrator’s close, anxious perspective keeps readers aligned with Jim’s fear and moral clarity while letting us see how the others succumb to greed or terror, sharpening themes of innocence, corruption, and the lingering power of pirate legend.
Important quotes
“Fifteen men on the dead man’s chest— Yo-ho-ho, and a bottle of rum!”
Voice (singer)A distant, thin voice sings the old pirate song, terrifying the assembled buccaneers and reviving memories of Flint.
“There’s seven hundred thousand pound not a quarter of a mile from here.”
Long John SilverSilver reminds the men of the vast treasure nearby, a declaration that refocuses them from fear to greed.
“All was clear to probation. The cache had been found and rifled; the seven hundred thousand pounds were gone!”
NarratorJim discovers the opened pit and Walrus-branded board, revealing that the treasure has already been dug up and taken.
Characters in XXXII
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