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.