English
ItwasbroaddaywhenIawokeandfoundmyselftossingatthesouth-westendofTreasureIsland.
ThesunwasupbutwasstillhidfrommebehindthegreatbulkoftheSpy-glass,whichonthissidedescendedalmosttotheseainformidablecliffs.
HaulbowlineHeadandMizzen-mastHillwereatmyelbow,thehillbareanddark,theheadboundwithcliffsfortyorfiftyfeethighandfringedwithgreatmassesoffallenrock.
Iwasscarceaquarterofamiletoseaward,anditwasmyfirstthoughttopaddleinandland.
Thatnotionwassoongivenover.Amongthefallenrocksthebreakersspoutedandbellowed;loudreverberations,heavyspraysflyingandfalling,succeededoneanotherfromsecondtosecond;andIsawmyself,ifIventurednearer,dashedtodeathupontheroughshoreorspendingmystrengthinvaintoscalethebeetlingcrags.
Norwasthatall,forcrawlingtogetheronflattablesofrockorlettingthemselvesdropintotheseawithloudreportsIbeheldhugeslimymonsters—softsnails,asitwere,ofincrediblebigness—twoorthreescoreofthemtogether,makingtherockstoechowiththeirbarkings.
Ihaveunderstoodsincethattheyweresealions,andentirelyharmless.
Butthelookofthem,addedtothedifficultyoftheshoreandthehighrunningofthesurf,wasmorethanenoughtodisgustmeofthatlanding-place.
Ifeltwillingrathertostarveatseathantoconfrontsuchperils.
InthemeantimeIhadabetterchance,asIsupposed,beforeme.
NorthofHaulbowlineHead,thelandrunsinalongway,leavingatlowtidealongstretchofyellowsand.
Tothenorthofthat,again,therecomesanothercape—CapeoftheWoods,asitwasmarkeduponthechart—buriedintallgreenpines,whichdescendedtothemarginofthesea.
IrememberedwhatSilverhadsaidaboutthecurrentthatsetsnorthwardalongthewholewestcoastofTreasureIsland,andseeingfrommypositionthatIwasalreadyunderitsinfluence,IpreferredtoleaveHaulbowlineHeadbehindmeandreservemystrengthforanattempttolanduponthekindlier-lookingCapeoftheWoods.
Therewasagreat,smoothswelluponthesea.Thewindblowingsteadyandgentlefromthesouth,therewasnocontrarietybetweenthatandthecurrent,andthebillowsroseandfellunbroken.
Haditbeenotherwise,Imustlongagohaveperished;butasitwas,itissurprisinghoweasilyandsecurelymylittleandlightboatcouldride.
Often,asIstilllayatthebottomandkeptnomorethananeyeabovethegunwale,Iwouldseeabigbluesummitheavingcloseaboveme;yetthecoraclewouldbutbouncealittle,danceasifonsprings,andsubsideontheothersideintothetroughaslightlyasabird.
Ibeganafteralittletogrowveryboldandsatuptotrymyskillatpaddling.
Butevenasmallchangeinthedispositionoftheweightwillproduceviolentchangesinthebehaviourofacoracle.
AndIhadhardlymovedbeforetheboat,givingupatoncehergentledancingmovement,ranstraightdownaslopeofwatersosteepthatitmademegiddy,andstruckhernose,withaspoutofspray,deepintothesideofthenextwave.
Iwasdrenchedandterrified,andfellinstantlybackintomyoldposition,whereuponthecoracleseemedtofindherheadagainandledmeassoftlyasbeforeamongthebillows.
Itwasplainshewasnottobeinterferedwith,andatthatrate,sinceIcouldinnowayinfluencehercourse,whathopehadIleftofreachingland?
Ibegantobehorriblyfrightened,butIkeptmyhead,forallthat.
First,movingwithallcare,Igraduallybaledoutthecoraclewithmysea-cap;then,gettingmyeyeoncemoreabovethegunwale,Isetmyselftostudyhowitwasshemanagedtoslipsoquietlythroughtherollers.
Ifoundeachwave,insteadofthebig,smoothglossymountainitlooksfromshoreorfromavessel’sdeck,wasforalltheworldlikeanyrangeofhillsondryland,fullofpeaksandsmoothplacesandvalleys.
Thecoracle,lefttoherself,turningfromsidetoside,threaded,sotospeak,herwaythroughtheselowerpartsandavoidedthesteepslopesandhigher,topplingsummitsofthewave.
“Well,now,”thoughtItomyself,“itisplainImustliewhereIamandnotdisturbthebalance;butitisplainalsothatIcanputthepaddleoverthesideandfromtimetotime,insmoothplaces,giveherashoveortwotowardsland.”Nosoonerthoughtuponthandone.
ThereIlayonmyelbowsinthemosttryingattitude,andeverynowandagaingaveaweakstrokeortwototurnherheadtoshore.
Itwasverytiringandslowwork,yetIdidvisiblygainground;andaswedrewneartheCapeoftheWoods,thoughIsawImustinfalliblymissthatpoint,Ihadstillmadesomehundredyardsofeasting.Iwas,indeed,closein.
Icouldseethecoolgreentree-topsswayingtogetherinthebreeze,andIfeltsureIshouldmakethenextpromontorywithoutfail.
Itwashightime,forInowbegantobetorturedwiththirst.
Theglowofthesunfromabove,itsthousandfoldreflectionfromthewaves,thesea-waterthatfellanddrieduponme,cakingmyverylipswithsalt,combinedtomakemythroatburnandmybrainache.
Thesightofthetreessonearathandhadalmostmademesickwithlonging,butthecurrenthadsooncarriedmepastthepoint,andasthenextreachofseaopenedout,Ibeheldasightthatchangedthenatureofmythoughts.
Rightinfrontofme,nothalfamileaway,IbeheldtheHispaniolaundersail.
Imadesure,ofcourse,thatIshouldbetaken;butIwassodistressedforwantofwaterthatIscarceknewwhethertobegladorsorryatthethought,andlongbeforeIhadcometoaconclusion,surprisehadtakenentirepossessionofmymindandIcoulddonothingbutstareandwonder.
TheHispaniolawasunderhermain-sailandtwojibs,andthebeautifulwhitecanvasshoneinthesunlikesnoworsilver.
WhenIfirstsightedher,allhersailsweredrawing;shewaslyingacourseaboutnorth-west,andIpresumedthemenonboardweregoingroundtheislandontheirwaybacktotheanchorage.
Presentlyshebegantofetchmoreandmoretothewestward,sothatIthoughttheyhadsightedmeandweregoingaboutinchase.
Atlast,however,shefellrightintothewind’seye,wastakendeadaback,andstoodthereawhilehelpless,withhersailsshivering.
“Clumsyfellows,”saidI;“theymuststillbedrunkasowls.”AndIthoughthowCaptainSmollettwouldhavesetthemskipping.
Meanwhiletheschoonergraduallyfelloffandfilledagainuponanothertack,sailedswiftlyforaminuteorso,andbroughtuponcemoredeadinthewind’seye.Againandagainwasthisrepeated.
Toandfro,upanddown,north,south,east,andwest,theHispaniolasailedbyswoopsanddashes,andateachrepetitionendedasshehadbegun,withidlyflappingcanvas.
Itbecameplaintomethatnobodywassteering.Andifso,wherewerethemen?
Eithertheyweredeaddrunkorhaddesertedher,Ithought,andperhapsifIcouldgetonboardImightreturnthevesseltohercaptain.
Thecurrentwasbearingcoracleandschoonersouthwardatanequalrate.
Asforthelatter’ssailing,itwassowildandintermittent,andshehungeachtimesolonginirons,thatshecertainlygainednothing,ifshedidnotevenlose.
IfonlyIdaredtositupandpaddle,ImadesurethatIcouldoverhaulher.
Theschemehadanairofadventurethatinspiredme,andthethoughtofthewaterbreakerbesidetheforecompaniondoubledmygrowingcourage.
UpIgot,waswelcomedalmostinstantlybyanothercloudofspray,butthistimestucktomypurposeandsetmyself,withallmystrengthandcaution,topaddleaftertheunsteeredHispaniola.
OnceIshippedaseasoheavythatIhadtostopandbail,withmyheartflutteringlikeabird,butgraduallyIgotintothewayofthethingandguidedmycoracleamongthewaves,withonlynowandthenablowuponherbowsandadashoffoaminmyface.
Iwasnowgainingrapidlyontheschooner;Icouldseethebrassglistenonthetillerasitbangedabout,andstillnosoulappeareduponherdecks.
Icouldnotchoosebutsupposeshewasdeserted.
Ifnot,themenwerelyingdrunkbelow,whereImightbattenthemdown,perhaps,anddowhatIchosewiththeship.
Forsometimeshehadbeendoingtheworsethingpossibleforme—standingstill.
Sheheadednearlyduesouth,yawing,ofcourse,allthetime.
Eachtimeshefelloff,hersailspartlyfilled,andthesebroughtherinamomentrighttothewindagain.
Ihavesaidthiswastheworstthingpossibleforme,forhelplessasshelookedinthissituation,withthecanvascrackinglikecannonandtheblockstrundlingandbangingonthedeck,shestillcontinuedtorunawayfromme,notonlywiththespeedofthecurrent,butbythewholeamountofherleeway,whichwasnaturallygreat.
Butnow,atlast,Ihadmychance.Thebreezefellforsomeseconds,verylow,andthecurrentgraduallyturningher,theHispaniolarevolvedslowlyroundhercentreandatlastpresentedmeherstern,withthecabinwindowstillgapingopenandthelampoverthetablestillburningonintotheday.
Themain-sailhungdroopedlikeabanner.
Shewasstock-stillbutforthecurrent.
ForthelastlittlewhileIhadevenlost,butnowredoublingmyefforts,Ibeganoncemoretooverhaulthechase.
Iwasnotahundredyardsfromherwhenthewindcameagaininaclap;shefilledontheporttackandwasoffagain,stoopingandskimminglikeaswallow.
Myfirstimpulsewasoneofdespair,butmysecondwastowardsjoy.
Roundshecame,tillshewasbroadsideontome—roundstilltillshehadcoveredahalfandthentwothirdsandthenthreequartersofthedistancethatseparatedus.
Icouldseethewavesboilingwhiteunderherforefoot.
Immenselytallshelookedtomefrommylowstationinthecoracle.
Andthen,ofasudden,Ibegantocomprehend.
Ihadscarcetimetothink—scarcetimetoactandsavemyself.
Iwasonthesummitofoneswellwhentheschoonercamestoopingoverthenext.Thebowspritwasovermyhead.
Isprangtomyfeetandleaped,stampingthecoracleunderwater.
WithonehandIcaughtthejib-boom,whilemyfootwaslodgedbetweenthestayandthebrace;andasIstillclungtherepanting,adullblowtoldmethattheschoonerhadchargeddownuponandstruckthecoracleandthatIwasleftwithoutretreatontheHispaniola.
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