English
Thisfifthtripwasquitedifferentfromanyoftheothers.
Inthefirstplace,thelittlegallipotofaboatthatwewereinwasgravelyoverloaded.
Fivegrownmen,andthreeofthem—Trelawney,Redruth,andthecaptain—oversixfeethigh,wasalreadymorethanshewasmeanttocarry.
Addtothatthepowder,pork,andbread-bags.Thegunwalewaslippingastern.
Severaltimesweshippedalittlewater,andmybreechesandthetailsofmycoatwereallsoakingwetbeforewehadgoneahundredyards.
Thecaptainmadeustrimtheboat,andwegothertoliealittlemoreevenly.Allthesame,wewereafraidtobreathe.
Inthesecondplace,theebbwasnowmaking—astrongripplingcurrentrunningwestwardthroughthebasin,andthensouth’ardandseawarddownthestraitsbywhichwehadenteredinthemorning.
Eventherippleswereadangertoouroverloadedcraft,buttheworstofitwasthatweweresweptoutofourtruecourseandawayfromourproperlanding-placebehindthepoint.
Ifweletthecurrenthaveitswayweshouldcomeashorebesidethegigs,wherethepiratesmightappearatanymoment.
“Icannotkeepherheadforthestockade,sir,”saidItothecaptain.
Iwassteering,whileheandRedruth,twofreshmen,wereattheoars.“Thetidekeepswashingherdown.Couldyoupullalittlestronger?”
“Notwithoutswampingtheboat,”saidhe.“Youmustbearup,sir,ifyouplease—bearupuntilyouseeyou’regaining.”
ItriedandfoundbyexperimentthatthetidekeptsweepinguswestwarduntilIhadlaidherheaddueeast,orjustaboutrightanglestothewayweoughttogo.
“We’llnevergetashoreatthisrate,”saidI.
“Ifit’stheonlycoursethatwecanlie,sir,wemustevenlieit,”returnedthecaptain.“Wemustkeepupstream.
Yousee,sir,”hewenton,“ifoncewedroppedtoleewardofthelanding-place,it’shardtosaywhereweshouldgetashore,besidesthechanceofbeingboardedbythegigs;whereas,thewaywegothecurrentmustslacken,andthenwecandodgebackalongtheshore.”
“Thecurrent’slessa’ready,sir,”saidthemanGray,whowassittinginthefore-sheets;“youcaneaseheroffabit.”
“Thankyou,myman,”saidI,quiteasifnothinghadhappened,forwehadallquietlymadeupourmindstotreathimlikeoneofourselves.
Suddenlythecaptainspokeupagain,andIthoughthisvoicewasalittlechanged.
“Thegun!”saidhe.
“Ihavethoughtofthat,”saidI,forImadesurehewasthinkingofabombardmentofthefort.“Theycouldnevergetthegunashore,andiftheydid,theycouldneverhaulitthroughthewoods.”
“Lookastern,doctor,”repliedthecaptain.
Wehadentirelyforgottenthelongnine;andthere,toourhorror,werethefiveroguesbusyabouther,gettingoffherjacket,astheycalledthestouttarpaulincoverunderwhichshesailed.
Notonlythat,butitflashedintomymindatthesamemomentthattheround-shotandthepowderforthegunhadbeenleftbehind,andastrokewithanaxewouldputitallintothepossessionoftheevilonesabroad.
“IsraelwasFlint’sgunner,”saidGrayhoarsely.
Atanyrisk,weputtheboat’sheaddirectforthelanding-place.
Bythistimewehadgotsofaroutoftherunofthecurrentthatwekeptsteeragewayevenatournecessarilygentlerateofrowing,andIcouldkeephersteadyforthegoal.
ButtheworstofitwasthatwiththecourseInowheldweturnedourbroadsideinsteadofoursterntotheHispaniolaandofferedatargetlikeabarndoor.
Icouldhearaswellasseethatbrandy-facedrascalIsraelHandsplumpingdownaround-shotonthedeck.
“Who’sthebestshot?”askedthecaptain.
“Mr.Trelawney,outandaway,”saidI.
“Mr.Trelawney,willyoupleasepickmeoffoneofthesemen,sir?Hands,ifpossible,”saidthecaptain.
Trelawneywasascoolassteel.Helookedtotheprimingofhisgun.
“Now,”criedthecaptain,“easywiththatgun,sir,oryou’llswamptheboat.Allhandsstandbytotrimherwhenheaims.”
Thesquireraisedhisgun,therowingceased,andweleanedovertotheothersidetokeepthebalance,andallwassonicelycontrivedthatwedidnotshipadrop.
Theyhadthegun,bythistime,slewedroundupontheswivel,andHands,whowasatthemuzzlewiththerammer,wasinconsequencethemostexposed.
However,wehadnoluck,forjustasTrelawneyfired,downhestooped,theballwhistledoverhim,anditwasoneoftheotherfourwhofell.
Thecryhegavewasechoednotonlybyhiscompanionsonboardbutbyagreatnumberofvoicesfromtheshore,andlookinginthatdirectionIsawtheotherpiratestroopingoutfromamongthetreesandtumblingintotheirplacesintheboats.
“Herecomethegigs,sir,”saidI.
“Giveway,then,”criedthecaptain.“Wemustn’tmindifweswamphernow.Ifwecan’tgetashore,all’sup.”
“Onlyoneofthegigsisbeingmanned,sir,”Iadded;“thecrewoftheothermostlikelygoingroundbyshoretocutusoff.”
“They’llhaveahotrun,sir,”returnedthecaptain.“Jackashore,youknow.
It’snotthemImind;it’stheround-shot.Carpetbowls!Mylady’smaidcouldn’tmiss.
Tellus,squire,whenyouseethematch,andwe’llholdwater.”
Inthemeanwhilewehadbeenmakingheadwayatagoodpaceforaboatsooverloaded,andwehadshippedbutlittlewaterintheprocess.
Wewerenowclosein;thirtyorfortystrokesandweshouldbeachher,fortheebbhadalreadydisclosedanarrowbeltofsandbelowtheclusteringtrees.
Thegigwasnolongertobefeared;thelittlepointhadalreadyconcealeditfromoureyes.
Theebb-tide,whichhadsocruellydelayedus,wasnowmakingreparationanddelayingourassailants.Theonesourceofdangerwasthegun.
“IfIdurst,”saidthecaptain,“I’dstopandpickoffanotherman.”
Butitwasplainthattheymeantnothingshoulddelaytheirshot.Theyhadneversomuchaslookedattheirfallencomrade,thoughhewasnotdead,andIcouldseehimtryingtocrawlaway.
“Ready!”criedthesquire.
“Hold!”criedthecaptain,quickasanecho.
AndheandRedruthbackedwithagreatheavethatsenthersternbodilyunderwater.
Thereportfellinatthesameinstantoftime.
ThiswasthefirstthatJimheard,thesoundofthesquire’sshotnothavingreachedhim.
Wheretheballpassed,notoneofuspreciselyknew,butIfancyitmusthavebeenoverourheadsandthatthewindofitmayhavecontributedtoourdisaster.
Atanyrate,theboatsankbythestern,quitegently,inthreefeetofwater,leavingthecaptainandmyself,facingeachother,onourfeet.
Theotherthreetookcompleteheaders,andcameupagaindrenchedandbubbling.
Sofartherewasnogreatharm.Noliveswerelost,andwecouldwadeashoreinsafety.
Buttherewereallourstoresatthebottom,andtomakethingsworse,onlytwogunsoutoffiveremainedinastateforservice.
MineIhadsnatchedfrommykneesandheldovermyhead,byasortofinstinct.
Asforthecaptain,hehadcarriedhisoverhisshoulderbyabandoleer,andlikeawiseman,lockuppermost.
Theotherthreehadgonedownwiththeboat.
Toaddtoourconcern,weheardvoicesalreadydrawingnearusinthewoodsalongshore,andwehadnotonlythedangerofbeingcutofffromthestockadeinourhalf-crippledstatebutthefearbeforeuswhether,ifHunterandJoycewereattackedbyhalfadozen,theywouldhavethesenseandconducttostandfirm.
Hunterwassteady,thatweknew;Joycewasadoubtfulcase—apleasant,politemanforavaletandtobrushone’sclothes,butnotentirelyfittedforamanofwar.
Withallthisinourminds,wewadedashoreasfastaswecould,leavingbehindusthepoorjolly-boatandagoodhalfofallourpowderandprovisions.
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