暗黑小说

PART IV The Stockade02（第5页）

"iknowprecisely，"saiddr。livesey。"threeshotswerefiredonthisside。isawthethreeflashes—twoclosetogether—onefarthertothewest。"

"three!"repeatedthecaptain。"andhowmanyonyours，mr。trelawney?"

butthiswasnotsoeasilyanswered。therehademanyfromthenorth—sevenbythesquiresputation，ordingtogray。fromtheeastandwestonlyasingleshothadbeenfired。itwasplain，therefore，thattheattackwouldbedevelopedfromthenorthandthatontheotherthreesideswewereonlytobeannoyedbyashowofhostilities。butcaptainsllettmadenochangeinhisarrangements。eededincrossingthestockade，heargued，theywouldtakepossessionofan玉nprotectedloopholeandshootusdownlikeratsinourownstronghold。

norhadwemuchtimelefttousforthought。suddenly，withaloudhuzza，alittlecloudofpiratesleapedfromthewoodsonthenorthsideandranstraightonthestockade。atthesamement，thefirewasoncereopenedfromthewoods，andarifleballsangthroughthedoorwayandknockedthedoctorsmusketintobits。

theboardersswarmedoverthefencelikenkeys。squireandgrayfiredagainandyetagain;threemenfell，oneforwardsintotheenclosure，twobackontheoutside。butofthese，onewasevidentlyrefrightenedthanhurt，forhewasonhisfeetagaininacrackandinstantlydisappearedangthetrees。

twohadbitthedust，onehadfled，fourhadmadegoodtheirfooinsideourdefences，whilefromtheshelterofthewoodssevenoreightmen，eachevidentlysuppliedwithseveralmuskets，keptupahotthoughuselessfireonthelog-house。

thefourwhohadboardedmadestraightbeforethemforthebuilding，shouastheyran，andthemenangthetreesshoutedbacktoencouragetheseveralshotswerefired，butsuchwasthehurryofthemarksmenthatnotoneappearstohavetakeneffect。inament，thefourpirateshadswarmeduptheundandwereuponus。

theheadofjobanderson，theboatswain，appearedatthemiddleloophole。

"atem，allhands—allhands!"heroaredinavoiceoft混der。

atthesamement，anotherpirategraspedhuntersmusketbythemuzzle，wrencheditfromhishands，p露ckeditthroughtheloophole，andwithonestunningblow，laidthepoorfellowsenselessonthefloor。meanwhileathird，runningunharmedallaroundthehouse，appearedsuddenlyinthedoorwayandfellwithhiscutlassonthedoctor。

ourpositionwasutterlyreversed。amentsincewewerefiring，undercover，atanexposedenemy;nowitwaswewhola玉ncoveredandcouldnotreturnablow。

thelog-housewasfullofske，towhichweowedourparativesafety。criesandconfusion，theflashesandreportsofpistol-shots，andoneloudgroanranginmyears。

"out，lads，out，andfightemintheopen!cutlasses!"criedthecaptain。

isnatchedacutlassfromthepile，andsomeone，atthesametimesnatchinganother，gavemeacutacrosstheknuckleswhichihardlyfelt。idashedoutofthedoorintotheclearsunlight。someonewasclosebehind，iknewnotwhorightinfront，thedoctorwaspursuinghisassailantdownthehill，andjustasmyeyesfel露ponhim，beatdownhisguardandsenthimsprawlingonhisbackwithagreatslashacrosstheface。

"roundthehouse，lads!roundthehouse!"criedthecaptain;andeveninthehurly-burly，iperceivedachangeinhisvoice。

mechanically，iobeyed，turnedeastwards，andwithmycutlassraised，ranroundthecornerofthehouse。nextmentiwasfacetofacewithanderson。heroaredaloud，andhishangerwentupabovehishead，flashinginthesunlight。ihadnottimetobeafraid，butastheblowstill混gimpending，leapedinatriceupononeside，andmissingmyfootinthesoftsand，rolledheadlongdowntheslope。

whenihadfirstsalliedfromthedoor，theothermutineershadbeenalreadyswarmingupthepalisadetomakeanendofus。oneman，inarednight-cap，withhiscutlassinhisuth，hadevengotuponthetopandthrownalegacross。well，soshorthadbeentheintervalthatwhenifoundmyfeetagainallwasinthesameposture，thefellowwiththerednight-capstillhalf-wayover，anotherstilljustshowinghisheadabovethetopofthestockade。andyet，inthisbreathoftime，thefightwasoverandthevictorywasours。

gray，followingclosebehindme，hadcutdownthebigboatswainerehehadtimetorecoverfromhislastblow。anotherhadbeenshotataloopholeintheveryactoffiringintothehouseandnowlayinagony，thepistolstillskinginhishand。athird，asihadseen，thedoctorhaddisposedofatablow。ofthefourwhohadscaledthepalisade，ountedfor，andhe，havinglefthiscutlassonthefield，wasnowclamberingoutagainwiththefearofdeathuponhi

"fire—firefromthehouse!"criedthedoctor。"andyou，lads，backintocover。"

buthiswordswereunheeded，noshotwasfired，andthelastboardermadegoodhisescapeanddisappearedwiththerestintothewood。inthreesecondsnothingremainedoftheattackingpartybutthefivewhohadfallen，fourontheinsideandoneontheoutsideofthepalisade。

thedoctorandgrayandiranfullspeedforshelter。thesurvivorswouldsoonbebackwheretheyhadlefttheirmuskets，andatanymentthefiremightremence。

thehousewasbythistimesomewhatclearedofske，andwesawataglancethepricewehadpaidforvictory。hunterlaybesidehisloophole，stunned;joycebyhis，shotthroughthehead，nevertoveagain;whilerightinthecentre，thesquirewassupporthecaptain，oneaspaleastheother。

"thecaptainswounded，"saidmr。trelawney。

"havetheyrun?"askedmr。sllett。

"allthatcould，youmaybebound，"returnedthedoctor;"buttheresfiveofthemwillneverrunagain。

"five!"criedthecaptain。"e，thatsbetter。fiveagainstthreeleavesusfourtonine。thatsbetteroddsthanwehadatstar。wewereseventonieenthen，orthoughtwewere，andthatsasbadtobear。"*

*themutineersweresoononlyeightinnumber，forthemanshotbymr。trelawneyonboardtheschoonerdiedthatsameeveningofhiswound。butthiswas，ofcourse，notknowntillafterbythefaithfulparty。