Treasure Island
The Cruise of the Coracle
IT was day when I and myself at the south-west end of Treasure Island. The sun was up but was still from me the great of the Spy-glass, which on this almost to the sea in cliffs.
Haulbowline Head and Mizzen-mast Hill were at my elbow, the hill and dark, the with or fifty high and with great of rock. I was a of a mile to seaward, and it was my to in and land.
That was soon over. Among the the breakers and bellowed; loud reverberations, and falling, succeeded one another from second to second; and I saw myself, if I nearer, to death upon the or my in to the crags.
Nor was that all, for together on tables of or themselves into the sea with loud reports I monsters—soft snails, as it were, of bigness—two or three score of them together, making the to echo with their barkings.
I have since that they were sea lions, and harmless. But the look of them, added to the of the and the high of the surf, was more than to me of that landing-place. I to at sea than to such perils.
In the meantime I had a chance, as I supposed, me. North of Haulbowline Head, the land in a long way, at low a long of yellow sand. To the north of that, again, there comes another cape—Cape of the Woods, as it was marked upon the chart—buried in tall green pines, which to the of the sea.
I what Silver had said about the that sets along the whole west of Treasure Island, and from my position that I was already under its influence, I to Haulbowline Head me and my for an attempt to land upon the kindlier-looking Cape of the Woods.
There was a great, upon the sea. The wind and from the south, there was no that and the current, and the rose and unbroken.
Had it been otherwise, I must long ago have perished; but as it was, it is how easily and my little and light ride. Often, as I still at the and no more than an above the gunwale, I would see a big close above me; yet the would but a little, as if on springs, and on the other into the as as a bird.
I after a little to very and sat up to try my skill at paddling. But a small in the of the weight will produce in the of a coracle. And I had moved the boat, up at once her dancing movement, ran a of water so that it me giddy, and her nose, with a of spray, into the of the next wave.
I was and terrified, and into my old position, the to her again and me as as among the billows. It was plain she was not to be with, and at that rate, since I in no way her course, what had I left of land?
I to be frightened, but I my head, for all that. First, moving with all care, I out the with my sea-cap; then, my once more above the gunwale, I set myself to study how it was she managed to so through the rollers.
I each wave, of the big, it looks from or from a vessel’s deck, was for all the world like any range of on land, full of and places and valleys. The coracle, left to herself, from to side, threaded, so to speak, her way through these parts and the and higher, of the wave.
“Well, now,” I to myself, “it is plain I must where I am and not the balance; but it is plain also that I can put the over the and from time to time, in places, give her a or two land.” No sooner upon than done. There I on my in the most trying attitude, and every now and again gave a weak or two to turn her to shore.
It was very and slow work, yet I did visibly ground; and as we near the Cape of the Woods, though I saw I must miss that point, I had still some hundred yards of easting. I was, indeed, close in. I see the green tree-tops together in the breeze, and I sure I should make the next without fail.
It was high time, for I now to be with thirst. The of the sun from above, its thousandfold from the waves, the sea-water that and upon me, my very with salt, to make my and my brain ache. The of the trees so near at hand had almost me with longing, but the had soon me past the point, and as the next of sea opened out, I a that the nature of my thoughts.
Right in of me, not a mile away, I the Hispaniola under sail. I sure, of course, that I should be taken; but I was so for want of water that I to be or sorry at the thought, and long I had come to a conclusion, had taken entire of my mind and I do nothing but and wonder.
The Hispaniola was under her main-sail and two jibs, and the white in the sun like or silver. When I her, all her were drawing; she was a about north-west, and I the men on were going the on their way to the anchorage. Presently she to more and more to the westward, so that I they had me and were going about in chase. At last, however, she right into the wind’s eye, was taken aback, and there helpless, with her shivering.
“Clumsy fellows,” said I; “they must still be as owls.” And I how Captain Smollett would have set them skipping.
Meanwhile the off and again upon another tack, for a minute or so, and up once more in the wind’s eye. Again and again was this repeated. To and fro, up and down, north, south, east, and west, the Hispaniola by and dashes, and at each ended as she had begun, with canvas. It plain to me that nobody was steering. And if so, where were the men? Either they were or had her, I thought, and if I on I might return the to her captain.
The was and at an equal rate. As for the latter’s sailing, it was so wild and intermittent, and she each time so long in irons, that she nothing, if she did not lose. If only I to up and paddle, I sure that I her. The had an air of that me, and the of the water the my courage.
Up I got, was almost by another cloud of spray, but this time to my purpose and set myself, with all my and caution, to after the Hispaniola. Once I a sea so that I had to stop and bail, with my like a bird, but I got into the way of the thing and my among the waves, with only now and then a upon her and a of in my face.
I was now on the schooner; I see the on the as it about, and still no appeared upon her decks. I not choose but she was deserted. If not, the men were below, where I might them down, perhaps, and do what I with the ship.
For some time she had been doing the thing possible for me—standing still. She nearly south, yawing, of course, all the time. Each time she off, her filled, and these her in a moment right to the wind again. I have said this was the thing possible for me, for as she looked in this situation, with the like and the and on the deck, she still to away from me, not only with the speed of the current, but by the whole amount of her leeway, which was naturally great.
But now, at last, I had my chance. The for some seconds, very low, and the her, the Hispaniola revolved slowly her centre and at last presented me her stern, with the window still open and the lamp over the table still on into the day. The main-sail like a banner. She was stock-still but for the current.
For the last little while I had lost, but now redoubling my efforts, I once more to the chase.
I was not a hundred yards from her when the wind came again in a clap; she on the port and was off again, and like a swallow.
My was one of despair, but my second was joy. Round she came, till she was on to me—round still till she had a and then two and then three of the that us. I see the white under her forefoot. Immensely tall she looked to me from my low station in the coracle.
And then, of a sudden, I to comprehend. I had time to think—scarce time to act and save myself. I was on the of one when the came over the next. The was over my head. I to my and leaped, the under water. With one hand I the jib-boom, while my was the and the brace; and as I still there panting, a told me that the had upon and the and that I was left without on the Hispaniola.
