暗黑小说

PART V My Sea Adventure02（第3页）

alltold，wehadscarcetwomilestorun;butthenavigationwasdelicate，theentrancetothisnorthernanchoragewasnotonlynarrowandshoal，butlayeastandwest，sothattheschoonermustbenicelyhandledtobegotin。ithinkiwasagood，promptsubaltern，andiamverysurethathandswasanexcellentpilot，forwewentaboutandaboutanddodgedin，shavingthebanks，withacertaintyandaneatnessthatwereapleasuretobehold。

scarcelyhadwepassedtheheadsbeforethelandclosedaroundus。theshoresofnorthinletwereasthicklywoodedasthoseofthesouthernanchorage，butthespacewaslongerandnarrowerandrelike，whatintruthitwas，theestuaryofariver。rightbeforeus，atthesouthernend，wesawthewreckofashipinthelaststagesofdilapidation。ithadbeenagreatvesselofthreemastsbuthadlainsolongexposedtotheinjuriesoftheweatherthatitwas混gaboutwithgreatwebsofdrippingseaweed，andonthedeckofitshorebusheshadtakenrootandnowflourishedthickwithflowers。itwasasadsight，butitshowedusthattheanchoragewascal

"now，"saidhands，"lookthere;theresapetbitfortobeachashipin。fineflatsand，neveracatspaw，treesallaroundofit，andflowersa-blowinglikeagardingonthatoldship。"

"andoncebeached，"iinquired，"howshallwegetheroffagain?"

"why，so，"hereplied:"youtakealineashorethereontheothersideatlowwater，takeaturnaboutoneofthembigpines;bringitback，takeaturnaroundthecapstan，andlietoforthetide。ehighwater，allhandstakeapul露pontheline，andoffsheesassweetasnatur。andnow，boy，youstandby。werenearthebitnow，andshestoomuchwayonher。starboardalittle—so—steady—starboard—larboardalittle—steady—steady!"

soheissuedhismands，whichibreathlesslyobeyed，till，allofasudden，hecried，"now，myhearty，露ff!"andiputthehelmhardup，andthehispaniolaswungroundrapidlyandranstenforthelow，woodedshore。

theexcitementoftheselastmanoeuvreshadsomewhatinterferedwiththewatchihadkepthitherto，sharplyenough，uponthecoxswain。eventheniwasstillsomuchinterested，waifortheshiptotouch，thatihadquiteforgottheperilthat混govermyheadandstoodcraningoverthestarboardbulwarksandwatchingtheripplesspreadingwidebeforethebows。leformylifehadnotasuddendisquietudeseizeduponmeandmademeturnmyhead。perhapsihadheardacreakorseenhisshadowvingwiththetailofmyeye;perhapsitwasaninstinctlikeacats;but，sureenough，whenilookedround，therewashands，alreadyhalf-waytowardsme，withthedirkinhisrighthand。

wemustbothhavecriedoutaloudwhenoureyesmet，butwhileminewastheshrillcryofterror，hiswasaroaroffurylikeachargingbullys。atthesameinstant，hethrewhimselfforwardandileaptsidewaystowardsthebows。asididso，iletgoofthetiller，whichsprangsharptoleeward，andithinkthissavedmylife，foritstruckhandsacrossthechestandstoppedhim，forthement，dead。

beforehecouldrecover，iwassafeoutofthecornerwherehehadmetrapped，withallthedecktododgeabout。justforwardofthemain-mastistopped，drewapistolfrommypocket，tookacoolaim，thoughhehadalreadyturnedandwasoncereingdirectlyafterme，er。thehammerfell，buttherefollowedneitherflashnorsound;theprimingwasuselesswithsea-water。icursedmyselfformyneglect。whyhadnoti，longbefore，reprimedandreloadedmyonlyweapons?thenishouldnothavebeenasnow，amerefleeingsheepbeforethisbutcher。

woundedashewas，itwaswonderfulhowfasthecouldve，hisgrizzledhairtumblingoverhisface，andhisfaceitselfasredasaredensignwithhishasteandfury。ihadnotimetotrymyotherpistol，norindeedmuchinclination，foriwassureitwouldbeuseless。ohingisawplainly:imustnotsimplyretreatbeforehim，orhewouldspeedilyholdmeboxedintothebows，asamentsincehehadsonearlyboxedmeinthestern。oncesocaught，andnineorteninchesoftheblood-staineddirkwouldbemylastexperienceonthissideofeternity。iplacedmypalmsagainstthemain-mast，whichwasofagoodishbigness，andwaited，everynerveuponthestretch。

seeingthatimeanttododge，healsopaused;andamentortwopassedinfeintsonhispartandcorrespondingvementsuponmine。itwassuchagameasihadoftenplayedathomeabouttherocksofblackhillcove，butneverbefore，youmaybesure，withsuchawildlybeaheartasnow。still，asisay，itwasaboysgame，andithoughticouldholdmyownatitagainstanelderlyseamanwithawoundedthigh。indeedmycouragehadbeguntorisesohighthatiallowedmyselfafewdarthoughtsonwhatwouldbetheendoftheaffair，andwhileisawcertainlythaticouldspinitoutforlong，isawnohopeofan玉ltimateescape。

well，whilethingsstoodthus，suddenlythehispaniolastruck，ered，groundforaninstantinthesand，andthen，swiftasablow，cantedovertotheportsidetillthedeckstoodatanangleofforty-fivedegreesandaboutapuncheonofwatersplashedintothescupperholesandlay，inapool，betweenthedeckandbulwark。

wewerebothofuscapsizedinasecond，andbothofusrolled，alsttogether，intothescuppers，thedeadred-cap，withhisarmsstillspreadout，tumblingstifflyafterus。sonearwerewe，indeed，thatmyheadcameagainstthecoxswainsfootwithacrackthatmademyteethrattle。blowandall，iwasthefirstafootagain，forhandshadgotinvolvedwiththedeadbody。thesuddencanoftheshiphadmadethedecknoplaceforrunningon;ihadtofindsomenewwayofescape，andthatupontheinstant，formyfoewasalsttouchingme。quickasthought，isprangintothemizzenshrouds，rattleduphandoverhand，anddidnotdrawabreathtilliwasseatedonthecross-trees。

ihadbeensavedbybeingprompt;thedirkhadstrucknothalfafootbelowmeasipursuedm玉pwardflight;andtherestoodisraelhandswithhisuthopenandhisfaceupturnedtomine，aperfectstatueofsurpriseanddisappointment。

nowthatihadamenttomyself，ilostnotimeinchangingtheprimingofmypistol，andthen，havingonereadyforservice，andtomakeassurancedoublysure，iproceededtodrawtheloadoftheotherandrechargeitafreshfromthebeginning。

mynewemploymentstruckhandsallofaheap;hebegantoseethedicegoingagainsthim，andafteranobvioushesitation，healsohauledhimselfheavilyintotheshrouds，andwiththedirkinhisteeth，beganslowlyandpainfullytount。itcosthimnoendoftimeandgroanstohaulhiswoundedlegbehindhim，andihadquietlyfinishedmyarrangementsbeforehewasmuchrethanathirdofthewa玉p。then，withapistolineitherhand，iaddressedhi

"onerestep，mr。hands，"saidi，"andillblowyourbrainsout!deadmendontbite，youknow，"iaddedwithachuckle。

hestoppedinstantly。icouldseebytheworkingofhisfacethathewastryingtothink，andtheprocesswassoslowandlaboriousthat，inmynew-foundsecurity，ilaughedaloud。atlast，withaswallowortwo，hespoke，hisfacestillwearingthesameexpressionofextremeperplexity。erfromhisuth，butinallelseheremainedunved。

"激m，"sayshe，"ireckonwerefouled，youandme，andwellhavetosignarticles。idhavehadyoubutforthatthere露rch，butidonthaveno露ck，noti;andireckonillhavetostrike，whicheshard，yousee，foramastermarinertoashipsyounkerlikeyou，激"

iwasdrinkinginhiswordsandsmilingaway，asconceitedasacockuponawall，when，allinabreath，backwenthisrighthandoverhisshoulder。somethingsanglikeanarrowthroughtheair;ifeltablowandthenasharppang，andthereiwaspinnedbytheshouldertothemast。inthehorridpainandsurpriseofthement—iscarcecansayitwasbymyownvolition，andiamsureitwaswithoutaconsciousaim—bothmypistolswentoff，andbothescapedoutofmyhands。theydidnotfallalone;withachokedcry，thecoxswainloosedhisgraspupontheshroudsandp露ngedheadfirstintothewater。

chapter27"piecesofeight"

wingtothecantofthevessel，themasts混gfaroutoverthewater，andfrommyperchonthecross-treesihadnothingbelowmebutthesurfaceofthebay。hands，whowasnotsofarup，wasinconsequencenearertotheshipandfellbetweenmeandthebulwarks。heroseoncetothesurfaceinalatheroffoamandbloodandthensankagainforgood。

asthewatersettled，icouldseehimlyinghuddledtogetherontheclean，brightsandintheshadowofthevesselssides。afishortwowhippedpasthisbody。sometimes，bythequiveringofthewater，heappearedtovealittle，asifheweretryingtorise。buthewasdeadenough，forallthat，beingbothshotanddrowned，andwasfoodforfishintheveryplacewherehehaddesignedmyslaughter。

iwasnosoonercertainofthisthanibegantofeelsick，faint，andterrified。thehotbloodwasrunningovermybackandchest。thedirk，whereithadpinnedmyshouldertothemast，seemedtoburnlikeahotiron;yetitwasnotsomuchtheserealsufferingsthatdistressedme，forthese，itseemedtome，icouldbearwithoutamurmur;itwasthehorrorihaduponmymindoffallingfromthecross-treesintothatstillgreenwater，besidethebodyofthecoxswain。

ic露ngwithbothhandstillmynailsached，andishutmyeyesasiftocoveruptheperil。graduallymymindcamebackagain，mypulsesquieteddowntoarenaturaltime，andiwasoncereinpossessionofmyself。

itwasmyfirstthoughttop露ckforththedirk，buteitheritstucktoohardormynervefailedme，andidesistedwithaviolentshudder。oddlyenough，thatveryshudderdidthebusiness。theknife，infact，hadethenearestintheworldtomissingmealtogether;itheldmebyamerepinchofskin，andthistheshuddertoreaway。thebloodrandownthefaster，tobesure，butiwasmyownmasteragainandonlytackedtothemastbymycoatandshirt。

theselastibrokethroughwithasuddenjerk，andthenregainedthedeckbythestarboardshrouds。fornothingintheworldwouldihaveagainventured，shakenasiwas，upontheoverhangingportshroudsfromwhichisraelhadsolatelyfallen。

iwentbelowanddidwhaticouldformywound;itpainedmeagooddealandstillbledfreely，butitwasneitherdeepnordangerous，nordiditgreatlygallmewheniusedmyarthenilookedaroundme，andastheshipwasnow，inasense，myown，ibegantothinkofclearingitfromitslastpassenger—thedeadman，obrien。

hehadpitched，asihavesaid，againstthebulwarks，wherehelaylikesomehorrible，ungainlysortofpuppet，life-size，indeed，buthowdifferentfromlifescolourorlifeseliness!inthatpositionicouldeasilyhavemywaywithhim，andasthehabitoftragicaladventureshadwornoffalstallmyterrorforthedead，itookhimbythewaistasifhehadbeenasackofbranandwithonegoodheave，tumbledhiverboard。hewentinwithasoundingp露nge;theredcapcameoffandremainedfloaonthesurface;andassoonasthesplashsubsided，icouldseehimandisraellyingsidebyside，bothwaveringwiththetremulousvementofthewater。obrien，thoughstillquiteayoungman，wasverybald。therehelay，withthatbaldheadacrossthekneesofthemanwhohadkilledhimandthequickfishessteeringtoandfrooverboth。