Treasure Island
How My Sea Adventure Began
THERE was no return of the mutineers—not so much as another out of the woods. They had “got their for that day,” as the captain put it, and we had the place to ourselves and a time to the and dinner. Squire and I in of the danger, and we tell what we were at, for of the loud that us from the doctor’s patients.
Out of the eight men who had in the action, only three still breathed—that one of the who had been at the loophole, Hunter, and Captain Smollett; and of these, the two were as good as dead; the died under the doctor’s knife, and Hunter, do what we could, in this world. He all day, like the old at home in his fit, but the of his had been by the and his in falling, and some time in the night, without or sound, he to his Maker.
As for the captain, his were indeed, but not dangerous. No organ was injured. Anderson’s ball—for it was Job that him first—had his shoulder-blade and touched the lung, not badly; the second had only and some in the calf. He was sure to recover, the doctor said, but in the meantime, and for to come, he must not walk move his arm, so much as speak when he help it.
My own cut across the was a flea-bite. Doctor Livesey it up with plaster and my ears for me into the bargain.
After dinner the and the doctor sat by the captain’s in consultation; and when they had talked to their hearts’ content, it being then a little past noon, the doctor took up his and pistols, on a cutlass, put the in his pocket, and with a over his the on the north and set off through the trees.
Gray and I were together at the end of the house, to be out of of our officers consulting; and Gray took his pipe out of his mouth and to put it again, so thunder-struck he was at this occurrence.
“Why, in the name of Davy Jones,” said he, “is Dr. Livesey mad?”
“Why no,” says I. “He’s about the last of this for that, I take it.”
“Well, shipmate,” said Gray, “mad he may not be; but if he’s not, you mark my words, I am.”
“I take it,” I, “the doctor has his idea; and if I am right, he’s going now to see Ben Gunn.”
I was right, as appeared later; but in the meantime, the house being and the little of the with sun, I to another into my head, which was not by any means so right. What I to do was to the doctor walking in the of the with the about him and the of the pines, while I sat grilling, with my to the resin, and so much blood about me and so many all around that I took a of the place that was almost as as fear.
All the time I was out the house, and then up the from dinner, this and and stronger, till at last, being near a bread-bag, and no one then me, I took the step my and pockets of my with biscuit.
I was a fool, if you like, and I was going to do a foolish, over-bold act; but I was to do it with all the in my power. These biscuits, should anything me, would keep me, at least, from till on in the next day.
The next thing I of was a of pistols, and as I already had a powder-horn and bullets, I myself well with arms.
As for the I had in my head, it was not a one in itself. I was to go the that the on the east from the open sea, the white I had last evening, and it was there or not that Ben Gunn had his boat, a thing doing, as I still believe. But as I was I should not be allowed to the enclosure, my only plan was to take French and out when nobody was watching, and that was so a way of doing it as the thing itself wrong. But I was only a boy, and I had my mind up.
Well, as at last out, I an opportunity. The and Gray were helping the captain with his bandages, the was clear, I a for it over the and into the of the trees, and my was I was out of of my companions.
This was my second folly, than the first, as I left but two men to the house; but like the first, it was a help saving all of us.
I took my way for the east of the island, for I was to go the sea of the to avoid all of from the anchorage. It was already late in the afternoon, although still warm and sunny. As I to the tall woods, I from me not only the of the surf, but a of and of which me the sea had set in higher than usual. Soon of air to me, and a steps I came into the open borders of the grove, and saw the sea and sunny to the and the and its along the beach.
I have the sea Treasure Island. The sun might overhead, the air be without a breath, the surface and blue, but still these great rollers would be along all the coast, and by day and night; and I there is one spot in the where a man would be out of of their noise.
I walked along the with great enjoyment, till, I was now got to the south, I took the of some thick and up to the of the spit.
Behind me was the sea, in the anchorage. The sea breeze, as though it had the sooner itself out by its violence, was already at an end; it had been succeeded by light, from the south and south-east, great banks of fog; and the anchorage, under of Skeleton Island, still and as when we entered it. The Hispaniola, in that mirror, was from the to the waterline, the Jolly Roger from her peak.
Alongside one of the gigs, Silver in the stern-sheets—him I always recognize—while a of men were over the bulwarks, one of them with a red cap—the very that I had some hours stride-legs upon the palisade. Apparently they were talking and laughing, though at that distance—upwards of a mile—I could, of course, no word of what was said. All at once there the most horrid, screaming, which at me badly, though I had soon the voice of Captain Flint and I make out the bird by her as she sat upon her master’s wrist.
Soon after, the jolly-boat off and for shore, and the man with the red cap and his by the companion.
Just about the same time, the sun had gone the Spy-glass, and as the was rapidly, it to dark in earnest. I saw I must no time if I were to the that evening.
The white rock, visible above the brush, was still some of a mile the spit, and it took me a while to up with it, crawling, often on all fours, among the scrub. Night had almost come when I my hand on its sides. Right it there was an small of green turf, by banks and a thick about knee-deep, that there very plentifully; and in the centre of the dell, sure enough, a little of goat-skins, like what the about with them in England.
I into the hollow, the of the tent, and there was Ben Gunn’s boat—home-made if anything was home-made; a rude, lop-sided of wood, and upon that a of goat-skin, with the inside. The thing was small, for me, and I can that it have with a full-sized man. There was one set as low as possible, a of in the bows, and a for propulsion.
I had not then a coracle, such as the Britons made, but I have one since, and I can give you no idea of Ben Gunn’s than by saying it was like the and the by man. But the great of the it possessed, for it was light and portable.
Well, now that I had the boat, you would have I had had of for once, but in the meantime I had taken another and so of it that I would have it out, I believe, in the teeth of Captain Smollett himself. This was to out under of the night, cut the Hispaniola adrift, and let her go where she fancied. I had up my mind that the mutineers, after their of the morning, had nothing nearer their than to up and away to sea; this, I thought, it would be a thing to prevent, and now that I had how they left their with a boat, I it might be done with little risk.
Down I sat to wait for darkness, and a of biscuit. It was a night out of ten thousand for my purpose. The had now all heaven. As the last rays of and disappeared, settled on Treasure Island. And when, at last, I the and my way out of the where I had supped, there were but two points visible on the whole anchorage.
One was the great fire on shore, by which the in the swamp. The other, a of light upon the darkness, the position of the ship. She had to the ebb—her was now me—the only lights on were in the cabin, and what I saw was a on the of the rays that from the window.
The had already some time, and I had to through a long of sand, where I times above the ankle, I came to the of the water, and a little way in, with some and dexterity, set my coracle, downwards, on the surface.