chapter22howibeganmyseaadventure
herewasnoreturnofthemutineers—notsomuchasanothershotoutofthewoods。theyhad"gottheirrationsforthatday,"asthecaptainputit,andwehadtheplacetoourselvesandaquiettimetooverhaulthewoundedandgetdinner。squireandicookedoutsideinspiteofthedanger,andevenoutsidewecouldhardlytellwhatwewereat,forhorroroftheloudgroansthatreachedusfromthedoctorspatients。
outoftheeightmenwhohadfallenintheaction,onlythreestillbreathed—thatoneofthepirateswhohadbeenshotattheloophole,hunter,andcaptainsllett;andofthese,thefirsttwowereasgoodasdead;themutineerindeeddiedunderthedoctorsknife,andhunter,dowhatwecould,neverrecoveredconsciousnessinthisworld。helingeredallday,aneerathomeinhisapoplecticfit,butthebonesofhischesthadbeencrushedbytheblowandhisskullfracturedinfalling,andsometimeinthefollowingnight,withoutsignorsound,hewenttohismaker。
asforthecaptain,hiswoundsweregrievousindeed,butnotdangerous。noorganwasfatallyinjured。andersonsball—foritwasjobthatshothimfirsthadbrokenhisshoulder-bladeandtouchedthe露ng,notbadly;thesecondhadonlytornanddisplacedsomemusclesinthecalf。hewassuretorecover,thedoctorsaid,butinthemeantime,andforweekstoe,hemustnotwalknorvehisarm,norsomuchasspeakwhenhecouldhelpit。
identalcutacrosstheknuckleswasaflea-bite。doctorliveseypatcheditupwithplasterandpulledmyearsformeintothebargain。
afterdinnerthesquireandthedoctorsatbythecaptainssideawhileinconsultation;andwhentheyhadtalkedtotheirheartscontent,itbeingthenalittlepastnoon,thedoctortookuphishatandpistols,girtonacutlass,putthechartinhispocket,andwithamusketoverhisshouldercrossedthepalisadeonthenorthsideandsetoffbrisklythroughthetrees。
grayandiweresittogetheratthefarendoftheblockhouse,tobeoutofearshotofourofficersconsul;andgraytookhispipeoutofhisuthandfairlyforgottoputitbackagain,sot混der-urrence。
"why,inthenameofdavyjones,"saidhe,"isdr。liveseymad?"
"whyno,"saysi。"hesaboutthelastofthiscrewforthat,itakeit。"
"well,shipmate,"saidgray,"madhemaynotbe;butifhesnot,youmarkmywords,ia"
"itakeit,"repliedi,"thedoctorhashisidea;andifiamright,hesgoingnowtoseebengunn。"
iwasright,asappearedlater;butinthemeantime,thehousebeingstiflinghotandthelittlepatchofsandinsidethepalisadeablazewithmiddaysun,ibegantogetanotherthoughtintomyhead,whichwasnotbyanymeanssoright。whatibegantodowastoenvythedoctorwalkinginthecoolshadowofthewoodswiththebirdsabouthimandthepleasantsmellofthepines,whileisatgrilling,withmyclothesstucktothehotresin,andsomuchbloodaboutmeandsomanypoordeadbodieslyingallaroundthatitookadisgustoftheplacethatwasalstasstrongasfear。
allthetimeiwaswashingouttheblockhouse,andthenwashingupthethingsfromdinner,thisdisgustandenvykeptgrowingstrongerandstronger,tillatlast,beingnearabread-bag,andnoohenobservingme,itookthefirststeptowardsmyescapadeandfilledbothpocketsofmycoatwithbiscuit。
iwasafool,ifyoulike,andcertainlyiwasgoingtodoafoolish,over-boldact;butiwasdeterminedtodoitwithalltheprecautionsinmypower。thesebiscuits,shouldanythingbefallme,wouldkeepme,atleast,fromstarvingtillfaroninthenextday。
thenextthingilaidholdofwasabraceofpistols,andasialreadyhadapowder-hornandbullets,ifeltmyselfwellsuppliedwitharms。
asfortheschemeihadinmyhead,itwasnotabadoneinitself。iwastogodownthesandyspitthatdividestheanchorageontheeastfromtheopensea,findthewhiterockihadobservedlastevening,andascertainwhetheritwasthereornotthatbengunnhadhiddenhisboat,athingquiteworthdoing,asistillbelieve。butasiwascertainishouldnotbeallowedtoleavetheenclosure,myonlyplanwastotakefrenchleaveandslipoutwhennobodywaswatching,andthatwassobadawayofdoingitasmadethethingitselfwrong。butiwasonlyaboy,andihadmademymindup。
well,asthingsatlastfellout,ifoundanadmirableopportunity。thesquireandgraywerebusyhelpingthecaptainwithhisbandages,thecoastwasclear,imadeaboltforitoverthestockadeandintothethickestofthetrees,andbeforemyabsencewasobservediwasoutofcryofmypanions。
thiswasmysecondfolly,farworsethanthefirst,asileftbuttwosoundmentoguardthehouse;butlikethefirst,itwasahelptowardssavingallofus。
itookmywaystraightfortheeastcoastoftheisland,foriwasdeterminedtogodowntheseasideofthespittoavoidallchanceofobservationfromtheanchorage。itwasalreadylateintheafternoon,althoughstillwarmandsunny。asicontinuedtothreadthetallwoods,icouldhearfromfarbeforemenotonlythecontinuoust混derofthesurf,butacertaintossingoffoliageandgrindingofboughswhichshowedmetheseabreezehadsetinhigherthanusual。sooncooldraughtsofairbegantoreachme,andafewstepsfarthericameforthintotheopenbordersofthegrove,andsawthesealyingb露eandsunnytothehorizonandthesurftumblingandtossingitsfoamalongthebeach。
ihaveneverseentheseaquietroundtreasureisland。thesunmightblazeoverhead,theairbewithoutabreath,thesurfacesothandb露e,butstillthesegreatrollerswouldberunningalongalltheexternalcoast,t混deringandt混deringbydayandnight;andiscarcebelievethereisonespotintheislandwhereamanwouldbeoutofearshotoftheirnoise。
iwalkedalongbesidethesurfwithgreatenjoyment,till,thinkingiwasnowgotfarenoughtothesouth,itookthecoverofsomethickbushesandcreptwaril玉ptotheridgeofthespit。
behindmewasthesea,infronttheanchorage。theseabreeze,asthoughithadthesoonerblownitselfoutbyitsunusualviolence,wasalreadyatanend;eededbylight,variableairsfromthesouthandsouth-east,reatbanksoffog;andtheanchorage,underleeofskeletonisland,laystillandleadenaswhenfirstweenteredit。thhispaniola,inthatunbrokenmirror,wasexactlyportrayedfromthetrucktothewaterline,thejollyrogerhangingfromherpeak。
alongsidelayoneofthegigs,silverinthesternsheets—himicouldalwaysrecognize—whileacoupleofmenwereleaningoverthesternbulwarks,oneofthemwitharedcap—theveryroguethatihadseensomehoursbeforestride-legsuponthepalisade。apparentlytheyweretalkingandlaughing,thoughatthatdistance—upwardsofamile—icould,ofcourse,hearnowordofwhatwassaid。allatoncetherebeganthesthorrid,unearthlyscreaming,whichatfirststartledmebadly,thoughihadsoonrememberedthevoiceofcaptainflintandeventhoughticouldmakeoutthebirdbyherbrightp露mageasshesatpercheduponhermasterswrist。
soonafter,thejolly-boatshovedoffandpulledforshore,andthemanwiththeredcapandhisradewentbelowbythecabinpanion。
justaboutthesametime,thesunhadgonedownbehindthespy-glass,andasthefogwascollecrapidly,itbegantogrowdarkinearnest。isawimustlosenotimeifiweretofindtheboatthatevening。
thewhiterock,visibleenoughabovethebrush,wasstillsomeeighthofamilefurtherdownthespit,andittookmeagoodishwhiletogetupwithit,crawling,oftenonallfours,angthescrub。nighthadalstewhenilaidmyhandonitsroughsides。rightbelowittherewasanexceedinglysmallhollowofgreenturf,hiddenbybanksandathickunderwoodaboutknee-deep,thatgrewthereveryplentifully;andinthecentreofthedell,sureenough,alittletentofgoat-skins,likewhatthegipsiescarryaboutwiththeminengland。