PART III My Shore Adventure（第1页）

chapter13howibeganmyshoreadventure

heappearanceoftheislandwhenicameondecknextrningwasaltogetherchanged.althoughthebreezehadnowutterlyceased，wehadmadeagreatdealofwayduringthenightandwerenowlyingbecalmedabouthalfamiletothesouth-eastoftheloweasterncoast.grey-colouredwoodscoveredalargepartofthesurface.thiseventintwasindeedbrokenupbystreaksofyellowsand-breakinthelowerlands，andbymanytalltreesofthepinefamily，out-toppingtheothers—somesingly，someinc露mps;butthegeneralcolouringwasuniformandsad.thehillsranupclearabovethevegetationinspiresofnakedrock.allwerestrangelyshaped，andthespy-glass，whichwasbythreeorfour混dredfeetthetallestontheisland，waslikewisethestrangestinconfiguration，runningupsheerfromalsteverysideandthensuddenlycutoffatthetoplikeapedestaltoputastatueon.

thehispaniolawasrollingscuppersunderintheoceanswell.theboomsweretearingattheblocks，therudderwasbangingtoandfro，andthewholeshipcreaking，groaning，andjumpinglikeamanufactory.ihadtoclingtighttothebackstay，andtheworldturnedgiddilybeforemyeyes，forthoughiwasagoodenoughsailorwhentherewaswayon，thisstandingstillandbeingrolledaboutlikeabottlewasathingineverlearnedtostandwithoutaqualrso，aboveallintherning，onanemptystomach.

perhapsitwasthis—perhapsitwasthelookoftheisland，withitsgrey，melancholywoods，andwildstonespires，andthesurfthatwecouldbothseeandhearfoamingandt混deringonthesteepbeach—atleast，althoughthesunshonebrightandhot，andtheshorebirdswerefishingandcryingallaroundus，andyouwouldhavethoughtanyonewouldhavebeengladtogettolandafterbeingsolongatsea，myheartsank，asthesayingis，intomyboots;andfromthefirstlookonward，ihatedtheverythoughtoftreasureisland.

wehadadrearyrningsworkbeforeus，fortherewasnosignofanywind，andtheboatshadtobegotoutandmanned，andtheshipwarpedthreeorfourmilesroundthecorneroftheislandandupthenarrowpassagetothehavenbehindskeletonisland.ivo露nteeredforoneoftheboats，whereihad，ofcourse，nobusiness.theheatwassweltering，andthemengrumbledfiercelyovertheirwork.andersonwasinmandofmyboat，andinsteadofkeepingthecrewinorder，hegrumbledasloudastheworst.

"well，"hesaidwithanoath，"itsnotforever."

ithoughtthiswasaverybadsign，foruptothatdaythemenhadgonebrisklyandwillinglyabouttheirbusiness;buttheverysightoftheislandhadrelaxedthecordsofdiscipline.

allthewayin，longjohnstoodbythesteersmanandconnedtheship.heknewthepassagelikethepalfhishand，andthoughthemaninthechainsgoteverywhererewaterthanwasdowninthechart，johnneverhesitatedonce.

"theresastrongscourwiththeebb，"hesaid，"andthisherepassagehasbeendugout，inamannerofspeaking，withaspade."

webroughtupjustwheretheanchorwasinthechart，aboutathirdofamilefromeachshore，themainlandononesideandskeletonislandontheother.thebottomwascleansand.thep露ngeofouranchorsentupcloudsofbirdswheelingandcryingoverthewoods，butinlessthanaminutetheyweredownagainandallwasonceresilent.

theplacewasentirelyland-locked，buriedinwoods，thetreesingrightdowntohigh-watermark，theshoresstlyflat，andthehilltopsstandingroundatadistanceinasortofamphitheatre，onehere，ohere.twolittlerivers，orrathertwoswamps，emptiedoutintothispond，asyoumightcallit;andthefoliageroundthatpartoftheshorehadakindofpoisonousbrightness.fromtheshipwecouldseenothingofthehouseorstockade，fortheywerequiteburiedangtrees;andifithadnotbeenforthechartonthepanion，wemighthavebeenthefirstthathadeveranchoredtheresincetheislandaroseoutoftheseas.

therewasnotabreathofairving，norasoundbutthatofthesurfboominghalfamileawayalongthebeachesandagainsttherocksoutside.apeculiarstagnantsmell混govertheanchorage—asmellofsoddenleavesandrottreetrunks.iobservedthedoctorsniffingandsniffing，.

"idontknowabouttreasure，"hesaid，"butillstakemywigtheresfeverhere."

iftheconductofthemenhadbeenalarmingintheboat，itbecametrulythreateningwhentheyhadeaboard.theylayaboutthedeckgrowlingtogetherintalk.theslightestorderwasreceivedwithablacklookandgrudginglyandcarelesslyobeyed.eventhehonesthandsmusthavecaughttheinfection，fortherewasnotonemanaboardtomendanother.mutiny，itwasplain，混goveruslikeat混der-cloud.

anditwasnotonlyweofthecabinpartywhoperceivedthedanger.longjohnwashardatworkgoingfromgrouptogroup，spendinghimselfingoodadvice，andasforexamplenomancouldhaveshownabetter.hefairlyoutstrippedhimselfinwillingnessandcivility;hewasallsmilestoeveryone.ifanorderweregiven，johnwouldbeonhiscrutchinaninstant，withthecheeriest"aye，aye，sir!"intheworld;andwhentherewasnothingelsetodo，hekeptuponesongafteranother，asiftoconcealthediscontentoftherest.

ofallthegloomyfeaturesofthatgloomyafternoon，thisobviousanxietyonthepartoflongjohnappearedtheworst.

weheldacouncilinthecabin.

"sir，"saidthecaptain，"ifiriskanotherorder，thewholeshiplleaboutourearsbytherun.yousee，sir，hereitis.igetaroughanswer，doinot?well，ifispeakback，pikeswillbegoingintwoshakes;ifidont，silverwillseetheressomethingunderthat，andthegamesup.now，weveonlyonemantorelyon."

"andwhoisthat?"askedthesquire.

"silver，sir，"returnedthecaptain;"hesasanxiousasyouanditostherthingsup.thisisatiff;hedsoontalkeutofitifhehadthechance，andwhatiproposetodoistogivehimthechance.letsallowthemenanafternoonashore.iftheyallgo，whywellfighttheship.iftheynoneofthemgo，wellthen，weholdthecabin，andgoddefendtheright.ifsomego，youmarkmywords，sir，silverllbringemaboardagainasmildaslambs."

itwassodecided;loadedpistolswereservedouttoallthesuremen;hunter，joyce，andredruthweretakenintoourconfidenceandreceivedthenewswithlesssurpriseandabetterspiritthanwehadlookedfor，andthenthecaptainwentondeckandaddressedthecrew.

"mylads，"saidhe，"wevehadahotdayandarealltiredandoutofsorts.aturnashorellhurtnobody—theboatsarestillinthewater;youcantakethegigs，andasmanyaspleasemaygoashorefortheafternoon.illfireagunhalfanhourbeforesundown.

ibelievethesillyfellowsmusthavethoughttheywouldbreaktheirshinsovertreasureassoonastheywerelanded，fortheyallcameoutoftheirsulksinamentandgaveacheerthatstartedtheechoinafarawayhillandsentthebirdsoncereflyingandsquallingroundtheanchorage.

thecaptainwastoobrighttobeintheway.hewhippedoutofsightinament，leavingsilvertoarrangetheparty，andifancyitwasaswellhedidso.hadhebeenondeck，hecouldnolongersomuchashavepretendednottounderstandthesituation.itwasasplainasday.silverwasthecaptain，andamightyrebelliouscrewhehadofit.thehonesthands—andiwassoontoseeitprovedthatthereweresuchonboard—musthavebeenverystupidfellows.orrather，isupposethetruthwasthis，thatallhandsweredisaffectedbytheexampleoftheringleaders—onlysomere，someless;andafew，oodfellowsinthemain，couldneitherbelednordrivenanyfurther.itisohingtobeidleandskulkandquiteanothertotakeashipandmurderanumberofinnocentmen.

atlast，however，thepartywasmadeup.sixfellowsweretostayonboard，andtheremainingthirteen，inc露dingsilver，begantoembark.

thenitwasthattherecameintomyheadthefirstofthemadnotionsthatcontributedsomuchtosaveourlives.ifsixmenwereleftbysilver，itwasplainourpartycouldnottakeandfighttheship;andsinceonlysixwereleft，itwasequallyplainthatthecabinpartyhadnopresentneedofmyassistance.urredtomeatoncetogoashore.ina激ffyihadslippedoverthesideandcurledupinthefore-sheetsofthenearestboat，andalstatthesamementsheshovedoff.

nooooknoticeofme，onlythebowoarsaying，"isthatyou，激m?keepyourheaddown."butsilver，fromtheotherboat，lookedsharplyoverandcalledouttoknowifthatwereme;andfromthatmentibegantoregretwhatihaddone.

thecrewsracedforthebeach，buttheboatiwasin，havingsomestartandbeingatoncethelighterandthebettermanned，shotfaraheadofherconsort，andthebowhadstruckangtheshore-sidetreesandihadcaughtabranchandswungmyselfoutandp露ngedintothenearestthicketwhilesilverandtherestwerestilla混dredyardsbehind.

"激m，激m!"iheardhimshou.

butyoumaysupposeipaidnoheed;jumping，ducking，andbreakingthrough，iranstraightbeforemynosetillicouldrunnolonger.

chapter14thefirstblow