English
Itwasabouthalfpastone—threebellsintheseaphrase—thatthetwoboatswentashorefromtheHispaniola.
Thecaptain,thesquire,andIweretalkingmattersoverinthecabin.
Hadtherebeenabreathofwind,weshouldhavefallenonthesixmutineerswhowereleftaboardwithus,slippedourcable,andawaytosea.
Butthewindwaswanting;andtocompleteourhelplessness,downcameHunterwiththenewsthatJimHawkinshadslippedintoaboatandwasgoneashorewiththerest.
ItneveroccurredtoustodoubtJimHawkins,butwewerealarmedforhissafety.
Withthemeninthetempertheywerein,itseemedanevenchanceifweshouldseetheladagain.Weranondeck.
Thepitchwasbubblingintheseams;thenastystenchoftheplaceturnedmesick;ifeveramansmeltfeveranddysentery,itwasinthatabominableanchorage.
Thesixscoundrelsweresittinggrumblingunderasailintheforecastle;ashorewecouldseethegigsmadefastandamansittingineach,hardbywheretheriverrunsin.
Oneofthemwaswhistling“Lillibullero.”
Waitingwasastrain,anditwasdecidedthatHunterandIshouldgoashorewiththejolly-boatinquestofinformation.
Thegigshadleanedtotheirright,butHunterandIpulledstraightin,inthedirectionofthestockadeuponthechart.
Thetwowhowereleftguardingtheirboatsseemedinabustleatourappearance;“Lillibullero”stoppedoff,andIcouldseethepairdiscussingwhattheyoughttodo.
HadtheygoneandtoldSilver,allmighthaveturnedoutdifferently;buttheyhadtheirorders,Isuppose,anddecidedtositquietlywheretheywereandharkbackagainto“Lillibullero.”
Therewasaslightbendinthecoast,andIsteeredsoastoputitbetweenus;evenbeforewelandedwehadthuslostsightofthegigs.
IjumpedoutandcameasnearrunningasIdurst,withabigsilkhandkerchiefundermyhatforcoolness’sakeandabraceofpistolsreadyprimedforsafety.
IhadnotgoneahundredyardswhenIreachedthestockade.
Thiswashowitwas:aspringofclearwaterrosealmostatthetopofaknoll.
Well,ontheknoll,andenclosingthespring,theyhadclappedastoutloghousefittoholdtwoscoreofpeopleonapinchandloopholedformusketryoneitherside.
Allroundthistheyhadclearedawidespace,andthenthethingwascompletedbyapalingsixfeethigh,withoutdoororopening,toostrongtopulldownwithouttimeandlabourandtooopentoshelterthebesiegers.
Thepeopleinthelog-househadthemineveryway;theystoodquietinshelterandshottheotherslikepartridges.
Alltheywantedwasagoodwatchandfood;for,shortofacompletesurprise,theymighthaveheldtheplaceagainstaregiment.
Whatparticularlytookmyfancywasthespring.
ForthoughwehadagoodenoughplaceofitinthecabinoftheHispaniola,withplentyofarmsandammunition,andthingstoeat,andexcellentwines,therehadbeenonethingoverlooked—wehadnowater.
Iwasthinkingthisoverwhentherecameringingovertheislandthecryofamanatthepointofdeath.
Iwasnotnewtoviolentdeath—IhaveservedhisRoyalHighnesstheDukeofCumberland,andgotawoundmyselfatFontenoy—butIknowmypulsewentdotandcarryone.
“JimHawkinsisgone,”wasmyfirstthought.
Itissomethingtohavebeenanoldsoldier,butmorestilltohavebeenadoctor.
Thereisnotimetodilly-dallyinourwork.
AndsonowImadeupmymindinstantly,andwithnotimelostreturnedtotheshoreandjumpedonboardthejolly-boat.
BygoodfortuneHunterpulledagoodoar.Wemadethewaterfly,andtheboatwassoonalongsideandIaboardtheschooner.
Ifoundthemallshaken,aswasnatural.Thesquirewassittingdown,aswhiteasasheet,thinkingoftheharmhehadledusto,thegoodsoul!Andoneofthesixforecastlehandswaslittlebetter.
“There’saman,”saysCaptainSmollett,noddingtowardshim,“newtothiswork.Hecamenigh-handfainting,doctor,whenheheardthecry.Anothertouchoftherudderandthatmanwouldjoinus.”
Itoldmyplantothecaptain,andbetweenuswesettledonthedetailsofitsaccomplishment.
WeputoldRedruthinthegallerybetweenthecabinandtheforecastle,withthreeorfourloadedmusketsandamattressforprotection.
Hunterbroughttheboatroundunderthestern-port,andJoyceandIsettoworkloadingherwithpowdertins,muskets,bagsofbiscuits,kegsofpork,acaskofcognac,andmyinvaluablemedicinechest.
Inthemeantime,thesquireandthecaptainstayedondeck,andthelatterhailedthecoxswain,whowastheprincipalmanaboard.
“Mr.Hands,”hesaid,“herearetwoofuswithabraceofpistolseach.Ifanyoneofyousixmakeasignalofanydescription,thatman’sdead.”
Theywereagooddealtakenaback,andafteralittleconsultationoneandalltumbleddowntheforecompanion,thinkingnodoubttotakeusontherear.
ButwhentheysawRedruthwaitingfortheminthesparredgalley,theywentaboutshipatonce,andaheadpoppedoutagainondeck.
“Down,dog!”criesthecaptain.
Andtheheadpoppedbackagain;andweheardnomore,forthetime,ofthesesixveryfaint-heartedseamen.
Bythistime,tumblingthingsinastheycame,wehadthejolly-boatloadedasmuchaswedared.JoyceandIgotoutthroughthestern-port,andwemadeforshoreagainasfastasoarscouldtakeus.
Thissecondtripfairlyarousedthewatchersalongshore.
“Lillibullero”wasdroppedagain;andjustbeforewelostsightofthembehindthelittlepoint,oneofthemwhippedashoreanddisappeared.
Ihadhalfamindtochangemyplananddestroytheirboats,butIfearedthatSilverandtheothersmightbecloseathand,andallmightverywellbelostbytryingfortoomuch.
Wehadsoontouchedlandinthesameplaceasbeforeandsettoprovisiontheblockhouse.
Allthreemadethefirstjourney,heavilyladen,andtossedourstoresoverthepalisade.
Then,leavingJoycetoguardthem—oneman,tobesure,butwithhalfadozenmuskets—HunterandIreturnedtothejolly-boatandloadedourselvesoncemore.
Soweproceededwithoutpausingtotakebreath,tillthewholecargowasbestowed,whenthetwoservantstookuptheirpositionintheblockhouse,andI,withallmypower,sculledbacktotheHispaniola.
Thatweshouldhaveriskedasecondboatloadseemsmoredaringthanitreallywas.
Theyhadtheadvantageofnumbers,ofcourse,butwehadtheadvantageofarms.
Notoneofthemenashorehadamusket,andbeforetheycouldgetwithinrangeforpistolshooting,weflatteredourselvesweshouldbeabletogiveagoodaccountofahalf-dozenatleast.
Thesquirewaswaitingformeatthesternwindow,allhisfaintnessgonefromhim.
Hecaughtthepainterandmadeitfast,andwefelltoloadingtheboatforourverylives.
Pork,powder,andbiscuitwasthecargo,withonlyamusketandacutlassapieceforthesquireandmeandRedruthandthecaptain.
Therestofthearmsandpowderwedroppedoverboardintwofathomsandahalfofwater,sothatwecouldseethebrightsteelshiningfarbelowusinthesun,ontheclean,sandybottom.
Bythistimethetidewasbeginningtoebb,andtheshipwasswingingroundtoheranchor.
Voiceswereheardfaintlyhalloainginthedirectionofthetwogigs;andthoughthisreassuredusforJoyceandHunter,whowerewelltotheeastward,itwarnedourpartytobeoff.
Redruthretreatedfromhisplaceinthegalleryanddroppedintotheboat,whichwethenbroughtroundtotheship’scounter,tobehandierforCaptainSmollett.
“Now,men,”saidhe,“doyouhearme?”
Therewasnoanswerfromtheforecastle.
“It’stoyou,AbrahamGray—it’stoyouIamspeaking.”
Stillnoreply.
“Gray,”resumedMr.Smollett,alittlelouder,“Iamleavingthisship,andIorderyoutofollowyourcaptain.
Iknowyouareagoodmanatbottom,andIdaresaynotoneofthelotofyou’sasbadashemakesout.
Ihavemywatchhereinmyhand;Igiveyouthirtysecondstojoinmein.”
Therewasapause.
“Come,myfinefellow,”continuedthecaptain;“don’thangsolonginstays.I’mriskingmylifeandthelivesofthesegoodgentlemeneverysecond.”
Therewasasuddenscuffle,asoundofblows,andoutburstAbrahamGraywithaknifecutonthesideofthecheek,andcamerunningtothecaptainlikeadogtothewhistle.
“I’mwithyou,sir,”saidhe.
Andthenextmomentheandthecaptainhaddroppedaboardofus,andwehadshovedoffandgivenway.
Wewereclearoutoftheship,butnotyetashoreinourstockade.
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