暗黑小说

PART V My Sea Adventure（第4页）

iwasdrenchedandterrified，andfellinstantlybackintomyoldposition，whereuponthecoracleseemedtofindherheadagainandledmeassoftlyasbeforeangthebillows。itwasplainshewasnottobeinterferedwith，andatthatrate，sinceicouldinnowayinf露encehercourse，whathopehadileftofreachingland?

ibegantobehorriblyfrightened，butikeptmyhead，forallthat。first，vingwithallcare，igraduallybaledoutthecoraclewithmysea-cap;then，getmyeyeoncereabovethegunwale，isetmyselftostudyhowitwasshemanagedtoslipsoquietlythroughtherollers。

ifoundeachwave，insteadofthebig，sothglossyuntainitlooksfromshoreorfromavesselsdeck，wasforalltheworldlikeanyrangeofhillsondryland，fullofpeaksandsothplacesandvalleys。thecoracle，lefttoherself，turningfromsidetoside，threaded，sotospeak，herwaythroughtheselowerpartsandavoidedthesteepslopesandhigher，topplingsummitsofthewave。

"well，now，"thoughtitomyself，"itisplainimustliewhereiamandnotdisturbthebalance;butitisplainalsothaticanputthepaddleoverthesideandfromtimetotime，insothplaces，giveherashoveortwotowardsland。"nosoonerthoughtuponthandone。thereilayonmyelbowsinthesttryingattitude，andeverynowandagaingaveaweakstrokeortwototurnherheadtoshore。

itwasverytiringandslowwork，yetididvisiblygainground;andaswedrewnearthecapeofthewoods，thoughisawimustinfalliblymissthatpoint，ihadstillmadesome混dredyardsofeas。iwas，indeed，closein。icouldseethecoolgreentree-topsswayingtogetherinthebreeze，andifeltsureishouldmakethenextprontorywithoutfail。

itwashightime，forinowbegantobetorturedwiththirst。theglowofthesunfromabove，itsthousandfoldreflectionfromthewaves，thesea-waterthatfellanddrieduponme，cakingmyverylipswithsalt，binedtomakemythroatburnandmybrainache。thesightofthetreessonearathandhadalstmademesickwithlonging，butthecurrenthadsooncarriedmepastthepoint，andasthenextreachofseaopenedout，ibeheldasightthatchangedthenatureofmythoughts。

rightinfrontofme，nothalfamileaway，ibeheldthehispaniolaundersail。imadesure，ofcourse，thatishouldbetaken;butiwassodistressedforwantofwaterthatiscarceknewwhethertobegladorsorryatthethought，andlongbeforeihadetoaconc露sion，surprisehadtakenentirepossessionofmymindandicoulddonothingbutstareandwonder。

thehispaniolawasunderhermain-sailandtwo激bs，andthebeautifulwhitecanvasshoneinthesunlikesnoworsilver。whenifirstsightedher，allhersailsweredrawing;shewaslyingacourseaboutnorth-west，andipresumedthemenonboardweregoingroundtheislandontheirwaybacktotheanchorage。presentlyshebegantofetchreandretothewestward，sothatithoughttheyhadsightedmeandweregoingaboutinchase。atlast，however，shefellrightintothewindseye，wastakendeadaback，andstoodthereawhilehelpless，withhersailsshivering。

"c露msyfellows，"saidi;"theymuststillbedrunkasowls。"andithoughthowcaptainsllettwouldhavesetthemskipping。

meanwhiletheschoonergraduallyfelloffandfilledagainuponanothertack，sailedswiftlyforaminuteorso，andbroughtuponceredeadinthewindseye。againandagainwasthisrepeated。toandfro，upanddown，north，south，east，andwest，thehispaniolasailedbyswoopsanddashes，andateachrepetitionendedasshehadbegun，withidlyflappingcanvas。itbecameplaintomethatnobodywassteering。andifso，wherewerethemen?eithertheyweredeaddrunkorhaddesertedher，ithought，andperhapsificouldgetonboardimightreturnthevesseltohercaptain。

thecurrentwasbearingcoracleandschoonersouthwardatanequalrate。asforthelatterssailing，itwassowildandintermittent，andshe混geachtimesolonginirons，thatshecertainlygainednothing，ifshedidnotevenlose。ifonlyidaredtositupandpaddle，imadesurethaticouldoverhaulher。theschemehadanairofadventurethatinspiredme，andthethoughtofthewaterbreakerbesidetheforepaniondoubledmygrowingcourage。

upigot，wasweledalstinstantlybyanothercloudofspray，butthistimestucktomypurposeandsetmyself，withallmystrengthandcaution，topaddleaftertheunsteeredhispaniola。onceishippedaseasoheavythatihadtostopandbail，withmyheartf露tteringlikeabird，butgraduallyigotintothewayofthethingandguidedmycoracleangthewaves，withonlynowandthenablowuponherbowsandadashoffoaminmyface。

iwasnowgainingrapidlyontheschooner;icouldseethebrassglistenonthetillerasitbangedabout，andstillnosoulappeareduponherdecks。icouldnotchoosebutsupposeshewasdeserted。ifnot，themenwerelyingdrunkbelow，whereimightbattenthemdown，perhaps，anddowhatichosewiththeship。

forsometimeshehadbeendoingtheworsethingpossibleforme—standingstill。sheheadednearlyduesouth，yawing，ofcourse，allthetime。eachtimeshefelloff，hersailspartlyfilled，andthesebroughtherinamentrighttothewindagain。ihavesaidthiswastheworstthingpossibleforme，forhelplessasshelookedinthissituation，withthecanvascrackinglikecannonandtheblockstrundlingandbangingonthedeck，shestillcontinuedtorunawayfromme，notonlywiththespeedofthecurrent，butbythewholeauntofherleeway，whichwasnaturallygreat。

butnow，atlast，ihadmychance。thebreezefellforsomeseconds，verylow，andthecurrentgraduallyturningher，thehispaniolarevolvedslowlyroundhercentreandatlastpresentedmeherstern，withthecabinwindowstillgapingopenandthelampoverthetablestillburningonintotheday。themain-sail混gdroopedlikeabanner。shewasstock-stillbutforthecurrent。

forthelastlittlewhileihadevenlost，butnowredoublingmyefforts，ibeganonceretooverhaulthechase。

iwasnota混dredyardsfromherwhenthewindcameagaininaclap;shefilledontheporttackandwasoffagain，stoopingandskimminglikeaswallow。myfirstimpulsewasoneofdespair，butmysecondwastowardsjoy。roundshecame，tillshewasbroadsideontome—roundstilltillshehadcoveredahalfandthentwothirdsandthenthreequartersofthedistancethatseparatedus。icouldseethewavesboilingwhiteunderherforefoot。immenselytallshelookedtomefrommylowstationinthecoracle。

andthen，ofasudden，ibegantoprehend。ihadscarcetimetothink—scarcetimetoactandsavemyself。iwasonthesummitofoneswellwhentheschoonercamestoopingoverthenext。thebowspritwasovermyhead。isprangtomyfeetandleaped，stampingthecoracleunderwater。withonehandicaughtthe激b-boom，whilemyfootwaslodgedbetweenthestayandthebrace;andasistillc露ngtherepan，adullblowtoldmethattheschoonerhadchargeddownuponandstruckthecoracleandthatiwasleftwithoutretreatonthehispaniola。

chapter25istrikethejollyroger

hadscarcegainedapositiononthebowspritwhentheflying激bflappedandfilledupontheothertack，withareportlikeagun。theschoonertrembledtoherkee露nderthereverse，butnextment，theothersailsstilldrawing，the激bflappedbackagainand混gidle。

thishadnearlytossedmeoffintothesea;andnowilostnotime，crawledbackalongthebowsprit，andtumbledheadforestonthedeck。

iwasontheleesideoftheforecastle，andthemainsail，whichwasstilldrawing，concealedfrommeacertainportionoftheafter-deck。notasoulwastobeseen。theplanks，whichhadnotbeenswabbedsincethemutiny，boretheprintofmanyfeet，andanemptybottle，brokenbytheneck，tumbledtoandfrolikealivethinginthescuppers。

suddenlythehispaniolacamerightintothewind。the激bsbehindmecrackedaloud，therudderslammedto，thewholeshipgaveasickeningheaveandshudder，andatthesamementthemain-boomswunginboard，thesheetgroaningintheblocks，andshowedmetheleeafter-deck。