Treasure Island
How My Shore Adventure Began
THE of the when I came on next was changed. Although the had now ceased, we had a great of way the night and were now about a mile to the south-east of the low coast. Grey-coloured a large part of the surface. This was up by of yellow sand-break in the lands, and by many tall trees of the family, out-topping the others—some singly, some in clumps; but the was and sad. The ran up clear above the in of rock. All were shaped, and the Spy-glass, which was by three or four hundred the on the island, was the in configuration, up from almost every and then cut off at the top like a to put a on.
The Hispaniola was under in the swell. The were at the blocks, the rudder was to and fro, and the whole ship creaking, groaning, and jumping like a manufactory. I had to tight to the backstay, and the world my eyes, for though I was a good when there was way on, this still and being rolled about like a bottle was a thing I learned to without a or so, above all in the morning, on an empty stomach.
Perhaps it was this—perhaps it was the look of the island, with its grey, woods, and wild spires, and the that we see and and on the beach—at least, although the sun and hot, and the were and all around us, and you would have anyone would have been to to land after being so long at sea, my sank, as the saying is, into my boots; and from the look onward, I the very of Treasure Island.
We had a morning’s work us, for there was no of any wind, and the had to be got out and manned, and the ship three or four miles the of the and up the narrow passage to the Skeleton Island. I for one of the boats, where I had, of course, no business. The was sweltering, and the men over their work. Anderson was in of my boat, and of the in order, he as loud as the worst.
“Well,” he said with an oath, “it’s not forever.”
I this was a very sign, for up to that day the men had gone and about their business; but the very of the had the of discipline.
All the way in, Long John by the and the ship. He the passage like the of his hand, and though the man in the got more water than was in the chart, John once.
“There’s a with the ebb,” he said, “and this here passage has been out, in a manner of speaking, with a spade.”
We up just where the was in the chart, about a third of a mile from each shore, the on one and Skeleton Island on the other. The was clean sand. The of our sent up clouds of and over the woods, but in less than a minute they were again and all was once more silent.
The place was land-locked, in woods, the trees right to high-water mark, the mostly flat, and the at a in a of amphitheatre, one here, one there. Two little rivers, or two swamps, out into this pond, as you might call it; and the that part of the had a of brightness. From the ship we see nothing of the house or stockade, for they were among trees; and if it had not been for the on the companion, we might have been the that had there since the out of the seas.
There was not a of air moving, a but that of the a mile away along the and against the outside. A over the anchorage—a of and tree trunks. I the doctor and sniffing, like someone a egg.
“I don’t know about treasure,” he said, “but I’ll my there’s here.”
If the of the men had been in the boat, it when they had come aboard. They about the together in talk. The order was with a black look and and obeyed. Even the hands must have the infection, for there was not one man to another. Mutiny, it was plain, over us like a thunder-cloud.
And it was not only we of the party who the danger. Long John was hard at work going from group to group, himself in good advice, and as for example no man have a better. He himself in and civility; he was all to everyone. If an order were given, John would be on his in an instant, with the “Aye, aye, sir!” in the world; and when there was nothing else to do, he up one song after another, as if to the of the rest.
Of all the of that afternoon, this on the part of Long John appeared the worst.
We a in the cabin.
“Sir,” said the captain, “if I another order, the whole ship’ll come about our ears by the run. You see, sir, here it is. I a answer, do I not? Well, if I speak back, will be going in two shakes; if I don’t, Silver will see there’s something under that, and the game’s up. Now, we’ve only one man to on.”
“And who is that?” asked the squire.
“Silver, sir,” returned the captain; “he’s as as you and I to up. This is a tiff; he’d soon talk ’em out of it if he had the chance, and what I to do is to give him the chance. Let’s allow the men an ashore. If they all go, why we’ll the ship. If they none of them go, well then, we the cabin, and God the right. If some go, you mark my words, sir, Silver’ll ’em again as mild as lambs.”
It was so decided; pistols were out to all the sure men; Hunter, Joyce, and Redruth were taken into our and the news with less and a than we had looked for, and then the captain on and the crew.
“My lads,” said he, “we’ve had a day and are all and out of sorts. A turn ashore’ll nobody—the are still in the water; you can take the gigs, and as many as may go for the afternoon. I’ll fire a gun an hour sundown.”
I the must have they would their over as soon as they were landed, for they all came out of their in a moment and gave a that started the echo in a hill and sent the once more and the anchorage.
The captain was too to be in the way. He out of in a moment, Silver to the party, and I it was as well he did so. Had he been on deck, he no longer so much as have not to the situation. It was as plain as day. Silver was the captain, and a he had of it. The hands—and I was soon to see it proved that there were such on board—must have been very fellows. Or rather, I the truth was this, that all hands were by the example of the ringleaders—only some more, some less; and a few, being good in the main, neither be any further. It is one thing to be and and another to take a ship and a number of men.
At last, however, the party was up. Six were to on board, and the thirteen, Silver, to embark.
Then it was that there came into my the of the that so much to save our lives. If six men were left by Silver, it was plain our party not take and the ship; and since only six were left, it was plain that the party had no present need of my assistance. It to me at once to go ashore. In a I had over the and up in the fore-sheets of the nearest boat, and almost at the same moment she off.
No one took notice of me, only the saying, “Is that you, Jim? Keep your down.” But Silver, from the other boat, looked over and called out to know if that were me; and from that moment I to what I had done.
The raced for the beach, but the I was in, having some start and being at once the and the manned, ahead of her consort, and the had among the shore-side trees and I had a branch and myself out and into the nearest while Silver and the were still a hundred yards behind.
“Jim, Jim!” I him shouting.
But you may I paid no heed; jumping, ducking, and through, I ran my nose till I no longer.
