暗黑小说

PART IV The Stockade（第1页）

chapter16narrativecontinuedbythedoctor:howtheshipwasabandoned

twasabouthalfpastone—threebellsintheseaphrase—thatthetwoboatswentashorefromthehispaniola。thecaptain，thesquire，andiweretalkingmattersoverinthecabin。hadtherebeenabreathofwind，weshouldhavefallenonthesixmutineerswhowereleftaboardwithus，slippedourcable，andawaytosea。butthewindwaswan;andtopleteourhelplessness，downcamehunterwiththenewsthat激mhawkinshadslippedintoaboatandwasgoneashorewiththerest。

urredtoustodoubt激mhawkins，butwewerealarmedforhissafety。withthemeninthetempertheywerein，itseemedanevenchanceifweshouldseetheladagain。weranondeck。thepitchwasbubblingintheseams;thenastystenchoftheplaceturnedmesick;ifeveramansmeltfeveranddysentery，itwasinthatabominableanchorage。rumblingunderasailintheforecastle;ashorewecouldseethegigsmadefastandamansitineach，hardbywheretheriverrunsin。oneofthemwaswhistling"lillibullero。"

waiwasastrain，anditwasdecidedthathunterandishouldgoashorewiththejolly-boatinquestofinformation。

thegigshadleanedtotheirright，buthunterandipulledstraightin，inthedirectionofthestockadeuponthechart。thetwowhowereleftguardingtheirboatsseemedinabustleatourappearance;"lillibullero"stoppedoff，andicouldseethepairdiscussingwhattheyoughttodo。hadtheygoneandtoldsilver，allmighthaveturnedoutdifferently;buttheyhadtheirorders，isuppose，anddecidedtositquietlywheretheywereandharkbackagainto"lillibullero。"

therewasaslightbendinthecoast，andisteeredsoastoputitbetweenus;evenbeforewelandedwehadthuslostsightofthegigs。ijumpedoutandcameasnearrunningasidurst，withabigsilkhandkerchiefundermyhatforcoolnesssakeandabraceofpistolsreadyprimedforsafety。

ihadnotgonea混dredyardswhenireachedthestockade。

thiswashowitwas:aspringofclearwaterrosealstatthetopofaknoll。well，ontheknoll，andenclosingthespring，theyhadclappedastoutloghousefittoholdtwoscoreofpeopleonapinchandloopholedformusketryoneitherside。allroundthistheyhadclearedawidespace，andthenthethingwaspletedbyapalingsixfeethigh，withoutdoororopening，toostrongtopulldownwithouttimeandlabourandtooopentoshelterthebesiegers。thepeopleinthelog-househadthemineveryway;theystoodquietinshelterandshottheotherslikepartridges。alltheywantedwasagoodwatchandfood;for，shortofapletesurprise，theymighthaveheldtheplaceagainstaregiment。

whatparticularlytookmyfancywasthespring。forthoughwehadagoodenoughplaceofitinthecabinofthehispaniola，withplentyofarmsandammunition，andthingstoeat，andexcellentwines，therehadbeenohingoverlooked—wehadnowater。iwasthinkingthisoverwhentherecameringingovertheislandthecryofamanatthepointofdeath。iwasnotnewtoviolentdeath—ihaveservedhisroyalhighnessthedukeofcumberland，andgotawoundmyselfatfontenoy—butiknowmypulsewentdotandcarryone。"激mhawkinsisgone，"wasmyfirstthought。

itissomethingtohavebeenanoldsoldier，butrestilltohavebeenadoctor。thereisnotimetodillydallyinourwork。andsonowimadeupmymindinstantly，andwithnotimelostreturnedtotheshoreandjumpedonboardthejolly-boat。

bygoodfortunehunterpulledagoodoar。wemadethewaterfly，andtheboatwassoonalongsideandiaboardtheschooner。

ifoundthemallshaken，aswasnatural。thesquirewassitdown，aswhiteasasheet，thinkingoftheharmhehadledusto，thegoodsoul!andoneofthesixforecastlehandswaslittlebetter。

"theresaman，"sayscaptainsllett，noddingtowardshim，"newtothiswork。hecamenigh-handfain，doctor，whenheheardthecry。anothertouchoftherudderandthatmanwouldjoinus。"

itoldmyplantothecaptain，omplishment。

weputoldredruthinthegallerybetweenthecabinandtheforecastle，withthreeorfourloadedmusketsandamattressforprotection。hunterbroughttheboatroundunderthestern-port，andjoyceandisettoworkloadingherwithpowdertins，muskets，bagsofbiscuits，kegsofpork，acaskofcognac，andmyinva露ablemedicinechest。

inthemeantime，thesquireandthecaptainstayedondeck，andthelatterhailedthecoxswain，whowastheprincipalmanaboard。

"mr。hands，"hesaid，"herearetwoofuswithabraceofpistolseach。ifanyoneofyousixmakeasignalofanydescription，thatmansdead。"

theywereagooddealtakenaback，andafteralittleconsultationoneandalltumbleddowntheforepanion，thinkingnodoubttotakeusontherear。butwhentheysawredruthwaifortheminthesparredgalley，theywentaboutshipatonce，andaheadpoppedoutagainondeck。

"down，dog!"criesthecaptain。

andtheheadpoppedbackagain;andweheardnore，forthetime，ofthesesixveryfaint-heartedseamen。

bythistime，tumblingthingsinastheycame，wehadthejolly-boatloadedasmuchaswedared。joyceandigotoutthroughthestern-port，andwemadeforshoreagainasfastasoarscouldtakeus。

thissecondtripfairlyarousedthewatchersalongshore。"lillibullero"wasdroppedagain;andjustbeforewelostsightofthembehindthelittlepoint，oneofthemwhippedashoreanddisappeared。ihadhalfamindtochangemyplananddestroytheirboats，butifearedthatsilverandtheothersmightbecloseathand，andallmightverywellbelostbytryingfortoomuch。

wehadsoontouchedlandinthesameplaceasbeforeandsettoprovisiontheblockhouse。allthreemadethefirstjourney，heavilyladen，andtossedourstoresoverthepalisade。then，leavingjoycetoguardthem—oneman，tobesure，butwithhalfadozenmuskets—hunterandireturnedtothejolly-boatandloadedourselvesoncere。soweproceededwithoutpausingtotakebreath，tillthewholecargowasbestowed，whenthetwoservantstookuptheirpositionintheblockhouse，andi，withallmypower，sculledbacktothehispaniola。

thatweshouldhaveriskedasecondboatloadseemsredaringthanitreallywas。theyhadtheadvantageofnumbers，ofcourse，butwehadtheadvantageofarms。notoneofthemenashorehadamusket，andbeforetheycouldgetwithinrangeforpistolshoo，ountofahalf-dozenatleast。

thesquirewaswaiformeatthesternwindow，allhisfaintnessgonefromhihecaughtthepainterandmadeitfast，andwefelltoloadingtheboatforourverylives。pork，powder，andbiscuitwasthecargo，withonlyamusketandacutlassapieceforthesquireandmeandredruthandthecaptain。therestofthearmsandpowderwedroppedoverboardintwofathomsandahalfofwater，sothatwecouldseethebrightsteelshiningfarbelowusinthesun，ontheclean，sandybotto

bythistimethetidewasbeginningtoebb，andtheshipwasswingingroundtoheranchor。voiceswereheardfaintlyhalloainginthedirectionofthetwogigs;andthoughthisreassuredusforjoyceandhunter，whowerewelltotheeastward，itwarnedourpartytobeoff。

redruthretreatedfromhisplaceinthegalleryanddroppedintotheboat，whichwethenbroughtroundtotheshipscounter，tobehandierforcaptainsllett。

"now，men，"saidhe，"doyouhearme?"

therewasnoanswerfromtheforecastle。

"itstoyou，abrahamgray—itstoyouiamspeaking。"

stillnoreply。