PART IV The Stockade（第2页）

stillnoreply.

"gray，"resumedmr.sllett，alittlelouder，"iamleavingthisship，andiorderyoutofollowyourcaptain.iknowyouareagoodmanatbottom，andidaresaynotoneofthelotofyousasbadashemakesout.ihavemywatchhereinmyhand;igiveyouthirtysecondstojoinmein."

therewasapause.

"e，myfinefellow，"continuedthecaptain;"donthangsolonginstays.imriskingmylifeandthelivesofthesegoodgentlemeneverysecond."

therewasasuddenscuffle，asoundofblows，andoutburstabrahamgraywithaknifecutonthesideofthecheek，andcamerunningtothecaptainlikeadogtothewhistle.

"imwithyou，sir，"saidhe.

andthenextmentheandthecaptainhaddroppedaboardofus，andwehadshovedoffandgivenway.

wewereclearoutoftheship，butnotyetashoreinourstockade.

chapter17narrativecontinuedbythedoctor:thejolly-boatslasttrip

hisfifthtripwasquitedifferentfromanyoftheothers.inthefirstplace，thelittlegallipotofaboatthatwewereinwasgravelyoverloaded.fivegrownmen，andthreeofthem—trelawney，redruth，andthecaptain—oversixfeethigh，wasalreadyrethanshewasmeanttocarry.addtothatthepowder，pork，andbread-bags.thegunwalewaslippingastern.severaltimesweshippedalittlewater，andmybreechesandthetailsofmycoatwereallsoakingwetbeforewehadgonea混dredyards.

thecaptainmadeustrimtheboat，andwegothertoliealittlereevenly.allthesame，wewereafraidtobreathe.

inthesecondplace，theebbwasnowmaking—astrongripplingcurrentrunningwestwardthroughthebasin，andthensouthardandseawarddownthestraitsbywhichwehadenteredintherning.eventherippleswereadangertoouroverloadedcraft，buttheworstofitwasthatweweresweptoutofourtruecourseandawayfrourproperlanding-placebehindthepoint.ifweletthecurrenthaveitswayweshouldeashorebesidethegigs，wherethepiratesmightappearatanyment.

"icannotkeepherheadforthestockade，sir，"saiditothecaptain.iwassteering，whileheandredruth，twofreshmen，wereattheoars."thetidekeepswashingherdown.couldyoupullalittlestronger?"

"notwithoutswampingtheboat，"saidhe."youmustbearup，sir，ifyouplease—bearupuntilyouseeyouregaining."

itriedandfoundbyexperimentthatthetidekeptsweepinguswestwarduntilihadlaidherheaddueeast，orjustaboutrightanglestothewayweoughttogo.

"wellnevergetashoreatthisrate，"saidi.

"ifitstheonlycoursethatwecanlie，sir，wemustevenlieit，"returnedthecaptain."wemustkeepupstreayousee，sir，"hewenton，"ifoncewedroppedtoleewardofthelanding-place，itshardtosaywhereweshouldgetashore，besidesthechanceofbeingboardedbythegigs;whereas，thewaywegothecurrentmustslacken，andthenwecandodgebackalongtheshore."

"thecurrentslessaready，sir，"saidthemangray，whowassitinthefore-sheets;"youcaneaseheroffabit."

"thankyou，myman，"saidi，quiteasifnothinghadhappened，forwehadallquietlymadeupourmindstotreathimlikeoneofourselves.

suddenlythecaptainspokeupagain，andithoughthisvoicewasalittlechanged.

"thegun!"saidhe.

"ihavethoughtofthat，"saidi，forimadesurehewasthinkingofabombardmentofthefort."theycouldnevergetthegunashore，andiftheydid，theycouldneverhaulitthroughthewoods."

"lookastern，doctor，"repliedthecaptain.

wehadentirelyforgottenthelongnine;andthere，toourhorror，werethefiveroguesbusyabouther，getoffherjacket，astheycalledthestouttarpaulincoverunderwhichshesailed.notonlythat，butitflashedintomymindatthesamementthattheround-shotandthepowderforthegunhadbeenleftbehind，andastrokewithanaxewouldputitallintothepossessionoftheevilonesabroad.

"israelwasflintsgunner，"saidgrayhoarsely.

atanyrisk，weputtheboatsheaddirectforthelanding-place.bythistimewehadgotsofaroutoftherunofthecurrentthatwekeptsteeragewayevenatournecessarilygentlerateofrowing，andicouldkeephersteadyforthegoal.buttheworstofitwasthatwiththecourseinowheldweturnedourbroadsideinsteadofoursterntothehispaniolaandofferedatargetlikeabarndoor.

icouldhearaswellasseethatbrandy-facedrascalisraelhandsp露mpingdownaround-shotonthedeck.

"whosthebestshot?"askedthecaptain.

"mr.trelawney，outandaway，"saidi.

"mr.trelawney，willyoupleasepickmeoffoneofthesemen，sir?hands，ifpossible，"saidthecaptain.

trelawneywasascoolassteel.helookedtotheprimingofhisgun.