PART IV The Stockade02（第4页）

"noti，"returnedthecaptain.

"whollgivemeahandup?"heroared.

notamanangusved.growlingthefoulestimprecations，hecrawledalongthesandtillhegotholdoftheporchandcouldhoisthimselfagainuponhiscrutch.thenhespatintothespring.

"there!"hecried."thatswhatithinkofye.beforeanhoursout，illstoveinyouroldblockhouselikearumpuncheon.laugh，byt混der，laugh!beforeanhoursout，yelllaughupontheotherside.themthatdiellbethe露ckyones."

andwithadreadfuloathhestumbledoff，plougheddownthesand，washelpedacrossthestockade，afterfourorfivefai露res，bythemanwiththeflagoftruceanddisappearedinaninstantafterwardsangthetrees.

chapter21theattack

ssoonassilverdisappeared，thecaptain，whohadbeencloselywatchinghim，turnedtowardstheinteriorofthehouseandfoundnotamanofusathispostbutgray.itwasthefirsttimewehadeverseenhimangry.

"quarters!"heroared.andthen，aswealls露nkbacktoourplaces，"gray，"hesaid，"illputyournameinthelog;youvestoodbyyourdutylikeaseaman.mr.trelawney，imsurprisedatyou，sir.doctor，ithoughtyouhadwornthekingscoat!ifthatwashowyouservedatfontenoy，sir，youdhavebeenbetterinyourberth."

thedoctorswatchwereallbackattheirloopholes，therestwerebusyloadingthesparemuskets，andeveryonewitharedface，youmaybecertain，andafleainhisear，asthesayingis.

thecaptainlookedonforawhileinsilence.thenhespoke.

"mylads，"saidhe，"ivegivensilverabroadside.ipitcheditinred-hotonpurpose;andbeforethehoursout，ashesaid，weshallbeboarded.wereoutnumbered，ineednttellyouthat，butwefightinshelter;andaminuteagoishouldhavesaidwefoughtwithdiscipline.ivenomannerofdoubtthatwecandrubthem，ifyouchoose."

thenhewenttheroundsandsaw，ashesaid，thatallwasclear.

onthetwoshortsidesofthehouse，eastandwest，therewereonlytwoloopholes;onthesouthsidewheretheporchwas，twoagain;andonthenorthside，five.therewasaroundscoreofmusketsforthesevenofus;thefirewoodhadbeenbuiltintofourpiles—tables，youmightsay—oneaboutthemiddleofeachside，andoneachofthesetablessomeammunitionandfourloadedmusketswerelaidreadytothehandofthedefenders.inthemiddle，thecutlasseslayranged.

"tossoutthefire，"saidthecaptain;"thechillispast，andwemustnthaveskeinoureyes."

theironfire-basketwascarriedbodilyoutbymr.trelawney，andtheembersstheredangsand.

"hawkinshasnthadhisbreakfast.hawkins，helpyourself，andbacktoyourposttoeatit，"continuedcaptainsllett."lively，now，mylad;youllwantitbeforeyouvedone.hunter，serveoutaroundofbrandytoallhands."

andwhilethiswasgoingon，thecaptainpleted，inhisownmind，theplanofthedefence.

"doctor，youwilltakethedoor，"heresumed."see，anddontexposeyourself;keepwithin，andfirethroughtheporch.hunter，taketheeastside，there.joyce，youstandbythewest，myman.mr.trelawney，youarethebestshot—youandgraywilltakethislongnorthside，withthefiveloopholes;itstherethedangeris.iftheycangetuptoitandfireinuponusthroughourownports，thingswouldbegintolookdirty.hawkins，ountattheshoo;wellstandbytoloadandbearahand."

asthecaptainhadsaid，thechillwaspast.assoonasthesunhadclimbedaboveourgirdleoftrees，itfellwithallitsforceupontheclearinganddrankupthevapoursatadraught.soonthesandwasbakingandtheresinmelinthelogsoftheblockhouse.jacketsandcoatsweref露ngaside，shirtsthrownopenattheneckandrolleduptotheshoulders;andwestoodthere，eachathispost，inafeverofheatandanxiety.

anhourpassedaway.

"hangthem!"saidthecaptain."thisisasdullasthedoldrums.gray，whistleforawind."

andjustatthatmentcamethefirstnewsoftheattack.

"ifyouplease，sir，"saidjoyce，"ifiseeanyone，amitofire?

"itoldyouso!"criedthecaptain.

"thankyou，sir，"returnedjoycewiththesamequietcivility.

nothingfollowedforatime，buttheremarkhadsetusallonthealert，strainingearsandeyes—themusketeerswiththeirpiecesbalancedintheirhands，thecaptainoutinthemiddleoftheblockhousewithhisuthverytightandafrownonhisface.

sosomesecondspassed，tillsuddenlyjoycewhippeduphismusketandfired.thereporthadscarcelydiedawayereitwasrepeatedandrepeatedfromwithoutinascatteringvolley，shotbehindshot，likeastringofgeese，fromeverysideoftheenclosure.severalbulletsstruckthelog-house，butnotoneentered;andastheskeclearedawayandvanished，thestockadeandthewoodsarounditlookedasquietandemptyasbefore.notaboughwaved，notthegleafamusket-barrelbetrayedthepresenceofourfoes.

"didyouhityourman?"askedthecaptain.

"no，sir，"repliedjoyce."ibelievenot，sir."

"nextbestthingtotellthetruth，"mutteredcaptainsllett."loadhisgun，hawkins.howmanyshouldsaytherewereonyourside，doctor?"

"iknowprecisely，"saiddr.livesey."threeshotswerefiredonthisside.isawthethreeflashes—twoclosetogether—onefarthertothewest."