Treasure Island
I Strike the Jolly Roger
I HAD a position on the when the and upon the other tack, with a report like a gun. The to her under the reverse, but next moment, the other still drawing, the again and idle.
This had nearly me off into the sea; and now I no time, along the bowsprit, and on the deck.
I was on the of the forecastle, and the mainsail, which was still drawing, from me a of the after-deck. Not a was to be seen. The planks, which had not been since the mutiny, the print of many feet, and an empty bottle, by the neck, to and like a live thing in the scuppers.
Suddenly the Hispaniola came right into the wind. The me aloud, the rudder to, the whole ship gave a and shudder, and at the same moment the main-boom inboard, the in the blocks, and me the after-deck.
There were the two watchmen, sure enough: red-cap on his back, as as a handspike, with his arms out like those of a and his teeth through his open lips; Israel Hands against the bulwarks, his on his chest, his hands open him on the deck, his as white, under its tan, as a candle.
For a while the ship and like a horse, the filling, now on one tack, now on another, and the to and till the under the strain. Now and again too there would come a cloud of light over the and a of the ship’s against the swell; so much weather was of it by this great rigged ship than by my home-made, lop-sided coracle, now gone to the of the sea.
At every jump of the schooner, red-cap to and fro, but—what was to behold—neither his his teeth-disclosing was by this usage. At every jump too, Hands appeared still more to into himself and settle upon the deck, his the out, and the whole the stern, so that his became, little by little, from me; and at last I see nothing his ear and the ringlet of one whisker.
At the same time, I observed, around of them, of dark blood upon the and to sure that they had killed each other in their wrath.
While I was thus looking and wondering, in a moment, when the ship was still, Israel Hands and with a low himself to the position in which I had him first. The moan, which told of pain and weakness, and the way in which his open right to my heart. But when I the talk I had from the apple barrel, all left me.
I walked until I the main-mast.
“Come aboard, Mr. Hands,” I said ironically.
He rolled his heavily, but he was too gone to surprise. All he do was to one word, “Brandy.”
It to me there was no time to lose, and the as it once more across the deck, I and the stairs into the cabin.
It was such a of as you can fancy. All the places had been open in of the chart. The was thick with where ruffians had sat to drink or after in the their camp. The bulkheads, all painted in clear white and with gilt, a pattern of dirty hands. Dozens of empty bottles together in to the of the ship. One of the doctor’s medical books open on the table, of the out, I suppose, for pipelights. In the of all this the lamp still a glow, and as umber.
I into the cellar; all the were gone, and of the bottles a most number had been out and away. Certainly, since the began, not a man of them have been sober.
Foraging about, I a bottle with some left, for Hands; and for myself I out some biscuit, some fruits, a great of raisins, and a piece of cheese. With these I came on deck, put my own stock the rudder and well out of the coxswain’s reach, to the water-breaker, and had a good drink of water, and then, and not till then, gave Hands the brandy.
He must have a he took the bottle from his mouth.
“Aye,” said he, “by thunder, but I wanted some o’ that!”
I had sat already in my own and to eat.
“Much hurt?” I asked him.
He grunted, or rather, I might say, he barked.
“If that doctor was aboard,” he said, “I’d be right in a of turns, but I don’t have no manner of luck, you see, and that’s what’s the with me. As for that swab, he’s good and dead, he is,” he added, the man with the red cap. “He warn’t no anyhow. And where you have come from?”
“Well,” said I, “I’ve come to take of this ship, Mr. Hands; and you’ll me as your captain until notice.”
He looked at me but said nothing. Some of the colour had come into his cheeks, though he still looked very and still to out and settle as the ship about.
“By the by,” I continued, “I can’t have these colours, Mr. Hands; and by your leave, I’ll ’em. Better none than these.”
And again the boom, I ran to the colour lines, their black flag, and it overboard.
“God save the king!” said I, my cap. “And there’s an end to Captain Silver!”
He me and slyly, his all the while on his breast.
“I reckon,” he said at last, “I reckon, Cap’n Hawkins, you’ll of want to now. S’pose we talks.”
“Why, yes,” says I, “with all my heart, Mr. Hands. Say on.” And I to my with a good appetite.
“This man,” he began, at the “—O’Brien were his name, a rank Irelander—this man and me got the on her, meaning for to sail her back. Well, he’s now, he is—as as bilge; and who’s to sail this ship, I don’t see. Without I you a hint, you ain’t that man, as far’s I can tell. Now, look here, you me food and drink and a old or to tie my up, you do, and I’ll tell you how to sail her, and that’s about square all round, I take it.”
“I’ll tell you one thing,” says I: “I’m not going to Captain Kidd’s anchorage. I to into North Inlet and beach her there.”
“To be sure you did,” he cried. “Why, I ain’t an after all. I can see, can’t I? I’ve my fling, I have, and I’ve lost, and it’s you has the wind of me. North Inlet? Why, I haven’t no ch’ice, not I! I’d help you sail her up to Execution Dock, by thunder! So I would.”
Well, as it to me, there was some in this. We our on the spot. In three minutes I had the Hispaniola easily the wind along the of Treasure Island, with good of the northern point and again as as North Inlet high water, when we might beach her safely and wait till the permitted us to land.
Then I the and to my own chest, where I got a soft of my mother’s. With this, and with my aid, Hands up the great he had in the thigh, and after he had a little and had a or two more of the brandy, he to up visibly, sat up, spoke louder and clearer, and looked in every way another man.
The us admirably. We it like a bird, the of the by and the view every minute. Soon we were past the high lands and low, country, with pines, and soon we were that again and had the of the hill that ends the on the north.
I was with my new command, and pleased with the bright, weather and these different of the coast. I had now of water and good to eat, and my conscience, which had me hard for my desertion, was by the great I had made. I should, I think, have had nothing left me to but for the of the as they me about the and the odd that appeared on his face. It was a that had in it something of pain and weakness—a old man’s smile; but there was, that, a of derision, a of treachery, in his as he watched, and watched, and me at my work.
