English
AssoonasSilverdisappeared,thecaptain,whohadbeencloselywatchinghim,turnedtowardstheinteriorofthehouseandfoundnotamanofusathispostbutGray.
Itwasthefirsttimewehadeverseenhimangry.
“Quarters!”heroared.
Andthen,asweallslunkbacktoourplaces,“Gray,”hesaid,“I’llputyournameinthelog;you’vestoodbyyourdutylikeaseaman.
Mr.Trelawney,I’msurprisedatyou,sir.
Doctor,Ithoughtyouhadworntheking’scoat!
IfthatwashowyouservedatFontenoy,sir,you’dhavebeenbetterinyourberth.”
Thedoctor’swatchwereallbackattheirloopholes,therestwerebusyloadingthesparemuskets,andeveryonewitharedface,youmaybecertain,andafleainhisear,asthesayingis.
Thecaptainlookedonforawhileinsilence.Thenhespoke.
“Mylads,”saidhe,“I’vegivenSilverabroadside.
Ipitcheditinred-hotonpurpose;andbeforethehour’sout,ashesaid,weshallbeboarded.
We’reoutnumbered,Ineedn’ttellyouthat,butwefightinshelter;andaminuteagoIshouldhavesaidwefoughtwithdiscipline.
I’venomannerofdoubtthatwecandrubthem,ifyouchoose.”
Thenhewenttheroundsandsaw,ashesaid,thatallwasclear.
Onthetwoshortsidesofthehouse,eastandwest,therewereonlytwoloopholes;onthesouthsidewheretheporchwas,twoagain;andonthenorthside,five.
Therewasaroundscoreofmusketsforthesevenofus;thefirewoodhadbeenbuiltintofourpiles—tables,youmightsay—oneaboutthemiddleofeachside,andoneachofthesetablessomeammunitionandfourloadedmusketswerelaidreadytothehandofthedefenders.
Inthemiddle,thecutlasseslayranged.
“Tossoutthefire,”saidthecaptain;“thechillispast,andwemustn’thavesmokeinoureyes.”
Theironfire-basketwascarriedbodilyoutbyMr.Trelawney,andtheemberssmotheredamongsand.
“Hawkinshasn’thadhisbreakfast.Hawkins,helpyourself,andbacktoyourposttoeatit,”continuedCaptainSmollett.
“Lively,now,mylad;you’llwantitbeforeyou’vedone.
Hunter,serveoutaroundofbrandytoallhands.”
Andwhilethiswasgoingon,thecaptaincompleted,inhisownmind,theplanofthedefense.
“Doctor,youwilltakethedoor,”heresumed.
“See,anddon’texposeyourself;keepwithin,andfirethroughtheporch.Hunter,taketheeastside,there.Joyce,youstandbythewest,myman.
Mr.Trelawney,youarethebestshot—youandGraywilltakethislongnorthside,withthefiveloopholes;it’stherethedangeris.
Iftheycangetuptoitandfireinuponusthroughourownports,thingswouldbegintolookdirty.
Hawkins,neitheryounorIaremuchaccountattheshooting;we’llstandbytoloadandbearahand.”
Asthecaptainhadsaid,thechillwaspast.
Assoonasthesunhadclimbedaboveourgirdleoftrees,itfellwithallitsforceupontheclearinganddrankupthevapoursatadraught.
Soonthesandwasbakingandtheresinmeltinginthelogsoftheblockhouse.
Jacketsandcoatswereflungaside,shirtsthrownopenattheneckandrolleduptotheshoulders;andwestoodthere,eachathispost,inafeverofheatandanxiety.
Anhourpassedaway.
“Hangthem!”saidthecaptain.“Thisisasdullasthedoldrums.Gray,whistleforawind.”
Andjustatthatmomentcamethefirstnewsoftheattack.
“Ifyouplease,sir,”saidJoyce,“ifIseeanyone,amItofire?”
“Itoldyouso!”criedthecaptain.
“Thankyou,sir,”returnedJoycewiththesamequietcivility.
Nothingfollowedforatime,buttheremarkhadsetusallonthealert,strainingearsandeyes—themusketeerswiththeirpiecesbalancedintheirhands,thecaptainoutinthemiddleoftheblockhousewithhismouthverytightandafrownonhisface.
Sosomesecondspassed,tillsuddenlyJoycewhippeduphismusketandfired.
Thereporthadscarcelydiedawayereitwasrepeatedandrepeatedfromwithoutinascatteringvolley,shotbehindshot,likeastringofgeese,fromeverysideoftheenclosure.
Severalbulletsstruckthelog-house,butnotoneentered;andasthesmokeclearedawayandvanished,thestockadeandthewoodsarounditlookedasquietandemptyasbefore.
Notaboughwaved,notthegleamofamusket-barrelbetrayedthepresenceofourfoes.
“Didyouhityourman?”askedthecaptain.
“No,sir,”repliedJoyce.“Ibelievenot,sir.”
“Nextbestthingtotellthetruth,”mutteredCaptainSmollett.“Loadhisgun,Hawkins.Howmanyshouldsaytherewereonyourside,doctor?”
“Iknowprecisely,”saidDr.Livesey.“Threeshotswerefiredonthisside.Isawthethreeflashes—twoclosetogether—onefarthertothewest.”
“Three!”repeatedthecaptain.“Andhowmanyonyours,Mr.Trelawney?”
Butthiswasnotsoeasilyanswered.Therehadcomemanyfromthenorth—sevenbythesquire’scomputation,eightornineaccordingtoGray.
Fromtheeastandwestonlyasingleshothadbeenfired.
Itwasplain,therefore,thattheattackwouldbedevelopedfromthenorthandthatontheotherthreesideswewereonlytobeannoyedbyashowofhostilities.
ButCaptainSmollettmadenochangeinhisarrangements.
Ifthemutineerssucceededincrossingthestockade,heargued,theywouldtakepossessionofanyunprotectedloopholeandshootusdownlikeratsinourownstronghold.
Norhadwemuchtimelefttousforthought.
Suddenly,withaloudhuzza,alittlecloudofpiratesleapedfromthewoodsonthenorthsideandranstraightonthestockade.
Atthesamemoment,thefirewasoncemoreopenedfromthewoods,andarifleballsangthroughthedoorwayandknockedthedoctor’smusketintobits.
Theboardersswarmedoverthefencelikemonkeys.
SquireandGrayfiredagainandyetagain;threemenfell,oneforwardsintotheenclosure,twobackontheoutside.
Butofthese,onewasevidentlymorefrightenedthanhurt,forhewasonhisfeetagaininacrackandinstantlydisappearedamongthetrees.
Twohadbitthedust,onehadfled,fourhadmadegoodtheirfootinginsideourdefenses,whilefromtheshelterofthewoodssevenoreightmen,eachevidentlysuppliedwithseveralmuskets,keptupahotthoughuselessfireonthelog-house.
Thefourwhohadboardedmadestraightbeforethemforthebuilding,shoutingastheyran,andthemenamongthetreesshoutedbacktoencouragethem.
Severalshotswerefired,butsuchwasthehurryofthemarksmenthatnotoneappearstohavetakeneffect.
Inamoment,thefourpirateshadswarmedupthemoundandwereuponus.
TheheadofJobAnderson,theboatswain,appearedatthemiddleloophole.
“At‘em,allhands—allhands!”heroaredinavoiceofthunder.
Atthesamemoment,anotherpirategraspedHunter’smusketbythemuzzle,wrencheditfromhishands,pluckeditthroughtheloophole,andwithonestunningblow,laidthepoorfellowsenselessonthefloor.
Meanwhileathird,runningunharmedallaroundthehouse,appearedsuddenlyinthedoorwayandfellwithhiscutlassonthedoctor.
Ourpositionwasutterlyreversed.Amomentsincewewerefiring,undercover,atanexposedenemy;nowitwaswewholayuncoveredandcouldnotreturnablow.
Thelog-housewasfullofsmoke,towhichweowedourcomparativesafety.Criesandconfusion,theflashesandreportsofpistol-shots,andoneloudgroanranginmyears.
“Out,lads,out,andfight‘emintheopen!Cutlasses!”criedthecaptain.
Isnatchedacutlassfromthepile,andsomeone,atthesametimesnatchinganother,gavemeacutacrosstheknuckleswhichIhardlyfelt.
Idashedoutofthedoorintotheclearsunlight.
Someonewasclosebehind,Iknewnotwhom.
Rightinfront,thedoctorwaspursuinghisassailantdownthehill,andjustasmyeyesfelluponhim,beatdownhisguardandsenthimsprawlingonhisbackwithagreatslashacrosstheface.
“Roundthehouse,lads!Roundthehouse!”criedthecaptain;andeveninthehurly-burly,Iperceivedachangeinhisvoice.
Mechanically,Iobeyed,turnedeastwards,andwithmycutlassraised,ranroundthecornerofthehouse.
NextmomentIwasfacetofacewithAnderson.
Heroaredaloud,andhishangerwentupabovehishead,flashinginthesunlight.
Ihadnottimetobeafraid,butastheblowstillhungimpending,leapedinatriceupononeside,andmissingmyfootinthesoftsand,rolledheadlongdowntheslope.
WhenIhadfirstsalliedfromthedoor,theothermutineershadbeenalreadyswarmingupthepalisadetomakeanendofus.
Oneman,inarednight-cap,withhiscutlassinhismouth,hadevengotuponthetopandthrownalegacross.
Well,soshorthadbeentheintervalthatwhenIfoundmyfeetagainallwasinthesameposture,thefellowwiththerednight-capstillhalf-wayover,anotherstilljustshowinghisheadabovethetopofthestockade.
Andyet,inthisbreathoftime,thefightwasoverandthevictorywasours.
Gray,followingclosebehindme,hadcutdownthebigboatswainerehehadtimetorecoverfromhislastblow.
Anotherhadbeenshotataloopholeintheveryactoffiringintothehouseandnowlayinagony,thepistolstillsmokinginhishand.
Athird,asIhadseen,thedoctorhaddisposedofatablow.
Ofthefourwhohadscaledthepalisade,oneonlyremainedunaccountedfor,andhe,havinglefthiscutlassonthefield,wasnowclamberingoutagainwiththefearofdeathuponhim.
“Fire—firefromthehouse!”criedthedoctor.“Andyou,lads,backintocover.”
Buthiswordswereunheeded,noshotwasfired,andthelastboardermadegoodhisescapeanddisappearedwiththerestintothewood.
Inthreesecondsnothingremainedoftheattackingpartybutthefivewhohadfallen,fourontheinsideandoneontheoutsideofthepalisade.
ThedoctorandGrayandIranfullspeedforshelter.Thesurvivorswouldsoonbebackwheretheyhadlefttheirmuskets,andatanymomentthefiremightrecommence.
Thehousewasbythistimesomewhatclearedofsmoke,andwesawataglancethepricewehadpaidforvictory.
Hunterlaybesidehisloophole,stunned;Joycebyhis,shotthroughthehead,nevertomoveagain;whilerightinthecentre,thesquirewassupportingthecaptain,oneaspaleastheother.
“Thecaptain’swounded,”saidMr.Trelawney.
“Havetheyrun?”askedMr.Smollett.
“Allthatcould,youmaybebound,”returnedthedoctor;“butthere’sfiveofthemwillneverrunagain.”
“Five!”criedthecaptain.“Come,that’sbetter.
Fiveagainstthreeleavesusfourtonine.
That’sbetteroddsthanwehadatstarting.
Wewereseventonineteenthen,orthoughtwewere,andthat’sasbadtobear.”*
*Themutineersweresoononlyeightinnumber,forthemanshotbyMr.Trelawneyonboardtheschoonerdiedthatsameeveningofhiswound.
Butthiswas,ofcourse,notknowntillafterbythefaithfulparty.
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