Young Jim Hawkins has no reason to suspect that Billy Bones, the pensioner who has taken up residence in his father-s inn, is anything other than an aging former mariner. But when violent altercations with visitors to the inn leave Billy on death-s doorstep, Jim discovers that they all are members of the crew of the notorious pirate Captain Flint, and that Billy has a map that shows the whereabouts of Flint-s buried treasure. . . First serialized in a children-s magazine between 1881 and 1882 as a coming-of-age story for young readers, Treasure Island has transcended its time and intended audience. Robert Louis Stevenson-s novel forged the template for the tale of pirate adventure, and many of its dramatic elements-including buried treasure, treasure maps, and pirate oaths, among others-have become iconic parts of virtually every pirate adventure story written in its wake.