暗黑小说

PART V My Sea Adventure（第3页）

ipulledinhandoverhandonthecord，andwhenijudgedmyselfnearenough，roseatinfiniterisktoabouthalfmyheightandthusmandedtheroofandasliceoftheinteriorofthecabin。

bythistimetheschoonerandherlittleconsortwereglidingprettyswiftlythroughthewater;indeed，wehadalreadyfetcheduplevelwiththecamp-fire。theshipwastalking，assailorssay，loudly，treadingtheinnumerablerippleswithanincessantwelteringsplash;anduntiligotmyeyeabovethewindow-sillicouldnotprehendwhythewatchmenhadtakennoalaroneglance，however，wassufficient;anditwasonlyoneglancethatidursttakefromthatunsteadyskiff。itshowedmehandsandhispanionlockedtogetherindeadlywrestle，eachwithahandupontheothersthroat。

idroppeduponthethwartagain，nooosoon，foriwasnearoverboard。icouldseenothingforthementbutthesetwofurious，encrimsonedfacesswayingtogetherundertheskylamp，andishutmyeyestoletthemgrowoncerefamiliarwiththedarkness。

theendlessballadhadetoanendatlast，andthewholediminishedpanyaboutthecamp-firehadbrokenintothechorusihadheardsooften:

"fifteenmenonthedeadmanschest—

yo-ho-ho，andabottleofrum!

drinkandthedevilhaddonefortherest—

yo-ho-ho，andabottleofrum!"

iwasjustthinkinghowbusydrinkandthedevilwereatthatverymentinthecabinofthehispaniola，wheniwassurprisedbyasudden露rchofthecoracle。atthesamement，sheyawedsharplyandseemedtochangehercourse。thespeedinthemeantimehadstrangelyincreased。

iopenedmyeyesatonce。allroundmewerelittleripples，bingoverwithasharp，bristlingsoundandslightlyphosphorescent。thehispaniolaherself，afewyardsinwhosewakeiwasstillbeingwhirledalong，erinhercourse，andisawhersparstossalittleagainsttheblacknessofthenight;nay，asilookedlonger，imadesureshealsowaswheelingtothesouthward。

iglancedovermyshoulder，andmyheartjumpedagainstmyribs。there，rightbehindme，wastheglowofthecamp-fire。thecurrenthadturnedatrightangles，sweepingroundalongwithitthetallschoonerandthelittledancingcoracle;everquickening，everbubblinghigher，evermutteringlouder，itwentspinningthroughthenarrowsfortheopensea。

suddenlytheschoonerinfrontofmegaveaviolentyaw，turning，perhaps，throughtwentydegrees;andalstatthesamementoneshoutfollowedanotherfronboard;icouldhearfeetpoundingonthepanionladderandiknewthatthetwodrunkardshadatlastbeeninterruptedintheirquarrelandawakenedtoasenseoftheirdisaster。

ilaydownflatinthebottofthatwretchedskiffanddevoutlyremendedmyspirittoitsmaker。attheendofthestraits，imadesurewemustfallintosomebarofragingbreakers，whereallmytroubleswouldbeendedspeedily;andthoughicould，perhaps，beartodie，icouldnotbeartolookuponmyfateasitapproached。

soimusthavelainforhours，continuallybeatentoandfrouponthebillows，nowandagainwettedwithflyingsprays，andneverceasingtoexpectdeathatthenextp露nge。graduallywearinessgrewuponme;anumbness，asionalstupor，fel露ponmymindeveninthemidstofmyterrors，untilsleepatlastsupervenedandinmysea-tossedcoracleilayanddreamedofhomeandtheoldadmiralbenbow。

chapter24thecruiseofthecoracle

twasbroaddaywheniawokeandfoundmyselftossingatthesouth-westendoftreasureisland。thesunwasupbutwasstillhidfrommebehindthegreatbulkofthespy-glass，whichonthissidedescendedalsttotheseainformidablecliffs。

haulbowlineheadandmizzen-masthillwereatmyelbow，thehillbareanddark，theheadboundwithcliffsfortyorfiftyfeethighandfringedwithgreatmassesoffallenrock。iwasscarceaquarterofamiletoseaward，anditwasmyfirstthoughttopaddleinandland。

thatnotionwassoongivenover。angthefallenrocksthebreakersspoutedandbellowed;loudreverberations，heavyspraysflyingandfalling，eededoneanotherfromsecondtosecond;andisawmyself，ifiventurednearer，dashedtodeathupontheroughshoreorspendingmystrengthinvaintoscalethebeetlingcrags。

norwasthatall，forcrawlingtogetheronflattablesofrockorletthemselvesdropintotheseawithloudreportsibeheldhugeslimynsters—softsnails，asitwere，ofincrediblebigness—twoorthreescoreofthemtogether，makingtherockstoechowiththeirbarkings。

ihaveunderstoodsincethattheyweresealions，andentirelyharmless。butthelookofthem，addedtothedifficultyoftheshoreandthehighrunningofthesurf，wasrethanenoughtodisgustmeofthatlandingplace。ifeltwillingrathertostarveatseathantoconfrontsuchperils。

inthemeantimeihadabetterchance，asisupposed，beforeme。northofhaulbowlinehead，thelandrunsinalongway，leavingatlowtidealongstretchofyellowsand。tothenorthofthat，again，thereesanothercape—capeofthewoods，asitwasmarkeduponthechart—buriedintallgreenpines，whichdescendedtothemarginofthesea。

irememberedwhatsilverhadsaidaboutthecurrentthatsetsnorthwardalongthewholewestcoastoftreasureisland，andseeingfrommypositionthatiwasalread玉nderitsinf露ence，ipreferredtoleavehaulbowlineheadbehindmeandreservemystrengthforanattempttolanduponthekindlier-lookingcapeofthewoods。

therewasagreat，sothswel露ponthesea。thewindblowingsteadyandgentlefromthesouth，therewasnocontrarietybetweenthatandthecurrent，andthebillowsroseandfel露nbroken。

haditbeenotherwise，imustlongagohaveperished;butasitwas，itissurprisinghoweasilyandsecurelymylittleandlightboatcouldride。often，asistilllayatthebottomandkeptnorethananeyeabovethegunwale，iwouldseeabigb露esummitheavingcloseaboveme;yetthecoraclewouldbutbouncealittle，danceasifonsprings，andsubsideontheothersideintothetroughaslightlyasabird。

ibeganafteralittletogrowveryboldandsatuptotrymyskillatpaddling。butevenasmallchangeinthedispositionoftheweightwillproduceviolentchangesinthebehaviourofacoracle。andihadhardlyvedbeforetheboat，givingupatoncehergentledancingvement，ranstraightdownaslopeofwatersosteepthatitmademegiddy，andstruckhernose，withaspoutofspray，deepintothesideofthenextwave。

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