暗黑小说

PART V My Sea Adventure（第2页）

thewhiterock，visibleenoughabovethebrush，wasstillsomeeighthofamilefurtherdownthespit，andittookmeagoodishwhiletogetupwithit，crawling，oftenonallfours，angthescrub。nighthadalstewhenilaidmyhandonitsroughsides。rightbelowittherewasanexceedinglysmallhollowofgreenturf，hiddenbybanksandathickunderwoodaboutknee-deep，thatgrewthereveryplentifully;andinthecentreofthedell，sureenough，alittletentofgoat-skins，likewhatthegipsiescarryaboutwiththeminengland。

idroppedintothehollow，liftedthesideofthetent，andtherewasbengunnsboat—home-madeifeveranythingwashome-made;arude，lop-sidedframeworkoftoughwood，andstretcheduponthatacoveringofgoat-skin，withthehairinside。thethingwasextremelysmall，evenforme，andicanhardlyimagihatitcouldhavefloatedwithafull-sizedman。therewasohwartsetaslowaspossible，akindofstretcherinthebows，andadoublepaddleforpropulsion。

ihadnotthenseenacoracle，suchastheancientbritonsmade，butihaveseenonesince，andicangiveyounofairerideaofbengunnsboatthanbysayingitwaslikethefirstandtheworstcoracleevermadebyman。butthegreatadvantageofthecoracleitcertainlypossessed，foritwasexceedinglylightandportable。

well，nowthatihadfoundtheboat，youwouldhavethoughtihadhadenoughoftruantryforonce，butinthemeantimeihadtakenanothernotionandbeesoobstinatelyfondofitthatiwouldhavecarrieditout，ibelieve，intheteethofcaptainslletthimself。thiswastoslipoutundercoverofthenight，cutthehispaniolaadrift，andlethergoashorewhereshefancied。ihadquitemadeupmymindthatthemutineers，aftertheirrepulseoftherning，hadnothingnearertheirheartsthantoupanchorandawaytosea;this，ithought，itwouldbeafihingtoprevent，andnowthatihadseenhowtheylefttheirwatchmenunprovidedwithaboat，ithoughtitmightbedonewithlittlerisk。

downisattowaitfordarkness，andmadeaheartymealofbiscuit。itwasanightoutoftenthousandformypurpose。thefoghadnowburiedallheaven。asthelastraysofdaylightdwindledanddisappeared，abso露teblacknesssettleddownontreasureisland。andwhen，atlast，ishoulderedthecoracleandgropedmywaystumblinglyoutofthehollowwhereihadsupped，therewerebuttwopointsvisibleonthewholeanchorage。

onewasthegreatfireonshore，bywhichthedefeatedpirateslaycarousingintheswamp。theother，amereb露roflightuponthedarkness，indicatedthepositionoftheanchoredship。shehadswungroundtotheebb—herbowwasnowtowardsme—theonlylightsonboardwereinthecabin，andwhatisawwasmerelyareflectiononthefogofthestrongraysthatflowedfromthesternwindow。

theebbhadalreadyrunsometime，andihadtowadethroughalongbeltofswampysand，whereisankseveraltimesabovetheankle，beforeicametotheedgeoftheretreawater，andwadingalittlewayin，withsomestrengthanddexterity，setmycoracle，keeldownwards，onthesurface。

chapter23theebb-tideruns

hecoracle—asihadamplereasontoknowbeforeiwasdonewithher—wasaverysafeboatforapersonofmyheightandweight，bothbuoyantandcleverinaseaway;butshewasthestcrossgrained，lop-sidedcrafttomanage。doasyoupleased，shealwaysmadereleewaythananythingelse，andturningroundandroundwasthemanoeuvreshewasbestat。evenbengunnhimselfhasadmittedthatshewas"queertohandletillyouknewherway。"

certainlyididnotknowherway。sheturnedineverydirectionbuttheoneiwasboundtogo;thestpartofthetimewewerebroadsideon，andiamverysureinevershouldhavemadetheshipatallbutforthetide。bygoodfortune，paddleasipleased，thetidewasstillsweepingmedown;andtherelaythehispaniolarightinthefairway，hardlytobemissed。

firstsheloomedbeforemelikeablotofsomethingyetblackerthandarkness，thenhersparsandhullbegantotakeshape，andthenextment，asitseemed（for，thefartheriwent，thebriskergrewthecurrentoftheebb），iwasalongsideofherhawserandhadlaidhold。

thehawserwasastautasabowstring，andthecurrentsostrongshepulleduponheranchor。allroundthehull，intheblackness，theripplingcurrentbubbledandchatteredlikealittleuntainstreaonecutwithmysea-gullyandthehispaniolawouldgohummingdownthetide。

sofarsogood，urredtomyrecollectionthatatauthawser，suddenlycut，isathingasdangerousasakickinghorse。tentoone，ifiweresofoolhardyastocutthehispaniolafromheranchor，iandthecoraclewouldbeknockedcleanoutofthewater。

thisbroughtmetoafullstop，andiffortunehadnotagainparticularlyfavouredme，ishouldhavehadtoabandonmydesign。butthelightairswhichhadbegunblowingfromthesouth-eastandsouthhadhauledroundafternightfallintothesouth-west。justwhileiwasmedita，apuffcame，caughtthehispaniola，andforcedherupintothecurrent;andtomygreatjoy，ifeltthehawserslackeninmygrasp，andthehandbywhichihelditdipforasecondunderwater。

withthatimademymindup，tookoutmygully，openeditwithmyteeth，andcutonestrandafteranother，tillthevesselswungonlybytwo。thenilayquiet，waitosevertheselastwhenthestrainshouldbeoncerelightenedbyabreathofwind。

allthistimeihadheardthesoundofloudvoicesfromthecabin，buttosaytruth，mymindhadbeensoentirelytakenupwithotherthoughtsthatihadscarcelygivenear。now，however，whenihadnothingelsetodo，ibegantopayreheed。

oneirecognizedforthecoxswains，israelhands，thathadbeenflintsgunnerinformerdays。theotherwas，ofcourse，myfriendoftherednight-cap。bothmenwereplainlytheworseofdrink，andtheywerestilldrinking，forevenwhileiwaslistening，oneofthem，withadrunkencry，openedthesternwindowandthrewoutsomething，whichidivinedtobeanemptybottle。buttheywerenotonlytipsy;itwasplainthattheywerefuriouslyangry。oathsflewlikehailstones，andeverynowandthentherecameforthsuchanexplosionasithoughtwassuretoendinblows。buteachtimethequarrelpassedoffandthevoicesgrumbledlowerforawhile，untilthenextcrisiscameandinitsturnpassedawaywithoutresult。

onshore，icouldseetheglowofthegreatcamp-fireburningwarmlythroughtheshore-sidetrees。someonewassinging，adull，old，droningsailorssong，withadroopandaquaverattheendofeveryverse，andseeminglynoendtoitatallbutthepatienceofthesinger。ihadhearditonthevoyagerethanonceandrememberedthesewords:

"butonemanofhercrewalive，

whatputtoseawithseventy-five。

andithoughtitwasadittyrathertoodolefullyappropriateforapanythathadmetsuchcruellossesintherning。but，indeed，fromwhatisaw，aneerswereascallousastheseatheysailedon。

atlastthebreezecame;theschoonersidledanddrewnearerinthedark;ifeltthehawserslackenoncere，andwithagood，tougheffort，cutthelastfibresthrough。

thebreezehadbutlittleactiononthecoracle，andiwasalstinstantlysweptagainstthebowsofthehispaniola。atthesametime，theschoonerbegantoturnuponherheel，spinningslowly，endforend，acrossthecurrent。

iwroughtlikeafiend，foriexpectedeverymenttobeswamped;andsinceifoundicouldnotpushthecoracledirectlyoff，inowshovedstraightastern。atlengthiwasclearofmydangerousneighbour，andjustasigavethelastimpulsion，myhandscameacrossalightcordthatwastrailingoverboardacrossthesternbulwarks。instantlyigraspedit。

whyishouldhavedonesoicanhardlysay。itwasatfirstmereinstinct，butonceihaditinmyhandsandfounditfast，curiositybegantogettheupperhand，andideterminedishouldhaveonelookthroughthecabinwindow。

ipulledinhandoverhandonthecord，andwhenijudgedmyselfnearenough，roseatinfiniterisktoabouthalfmyheightandthusmandedtheroofandasliceoftheinteriorofthecabin。