PART V My Sea Adventure（第4页）

iwasdrenchedandterrified，andfellinstantlybackintomyoldposition，whereuponthecoracleseemedtofindherheadagainandledmeassoftlyasbeforeangthebillows.itwasplainshewasnottobeinterferedwith，andatthatrate，sinceicouldinnowayinf露encehercourse，whathopehadileftofreachingland?

ibegantobehorriblyfrightened，butikeptmyhead，forallthat.first，vingwithallcare，igraduallybaledoutthecoraclewithmysea-cap;then，getmyeyeoncereabovethegunwale，isetmyselftostudyhowitwasshemanagedtoslipsoquietlythroughtherollers.

ifoundeachwave，insteadofthebig，sothglossyuntainitlooksfromshoreorfromavesselsdeck，wasforalltheworldlikeanyrangeofhillsondryland，fullofpeaksandsothplacesandvalleys.thecoracle，lefttoherself，turningfromsidetoside，threaded，sotospeak，herwaythroughtheselowerpartsandavoidedthesteepslopesandhigher，topplingsummitsofthewave.

"well，now，"thoughtitomyself，"itisplainimustliewhereiamandnotdisturbthebalance;butitisplainalsothaticanputthepaddleoverthesideandfromtimetotime，insothplaces，giveherashoveortwotowardsland."nosoonerthoughtuponthandone.thereilayonmyelbowsinthesttryingattitude，andeverynowandagaingaveaweakstrokeortwototurnherheadtoshore.

itwasverytiringandslowwork，yetididvisiblygainground;andaswedrewnearthecapeofthewoods，thoughisawimustinfalliblymissthatpoint，ihadstillmadesome混dredyardsofeas.iwas，indeed，closein.icouldseethecoolgreentree-topsswayingtogetherinthebreeze，andifeltsureishouldmakethenextprontorywithoutfail.

itwashightime，forinowbegantobetorturedwiththirst.theglowofthesunfromabove，itsthousandfoldreflectionfromthewaves，thesea-waterthatfellanddrieduponme，cakingmyverylipswithsalt，binedtomakemythroatburnandmybrainache.thesightofthetreessonearathandhadalstmademesickwithlonging，butthecurrenthadsooncarriedmepastthepoint，andasthenextreachofseaopenedout，ibeheldasightthatchangedthenatureofmythoughts.

rightinfrontofme，nothalfamileaway，ibeheldthehispaniolaundersail.imadesure，ofcourse，thatishouldbetaken;butiwassodistressedforwantofwaterthatiscarceknewwhethertobegladorsorryatthethought，andlongbeforeihadetoaconc露sion，surprisehadtakenentirepossessionofmymindandicoulddonothingbutstareandwonder.

thehispaniolawasunderhermain-sailandtwo激bs，andthebeautifulwhitecanvasshoneinthesunlikesnoworsilver.whenifirstsightedher，allhersailsweredrawing;shewaslyingacourseaboutnorth-west，andipresumedthemenonboardweregoingroundtheislandontheirwaybacktotheanchorage.presentlyshebegantofetchreandretothewestward，sothatithoughttheyhadsightedmeandweregoingaboutinchase.atlast，however，shefellrightintothewindseye，wastakendeadaback，andstoodthereawhilehelpless，withhersailsshivering.

"c露msyfellows，"saidi;"theymuststillbedrunkasowls."andithoughthowcaptainsllettwouldhavesetthemskipping.

meanwhiletheschoonergraduallyfelloffandfilledagainuponanothertack，sailedswiftlyforaminuteorso，andbroughtuponceredeadinthewindseye.againandagainwasthisrepeated.toandfro，upanddown，north，south，east，andwest，thehispaniolasailedbyswoopsanddashes，andateachrepetitionendedasshehadbegun，withidlyflappingcanvas.itbecameplaintomethatnobodywassteering.andifso，wherewerethemen?eithertheyweredeaddrunkorhaddesertedher，ithought，andperhapsificouldgetonboardimightreturnthevesseltohercaptain.

thecurrentwasbearingcoracleandschoonersouthwardatanequalrate.asforthelatterssailing，itwassowildandintermittent，andshe混geachtimesolonginirons，thatshecertainlygainednothing，ifshedidnotevenlose.ifonlyidaredtositupandpaddle，imadesurethaticouldoverhaulher.theschemehadanairofadventurethatinspiredme，andthethoughtofthewaterbreakerbesidetheforepaniondoubledmygrowingcourage.

upigot，wasweledalstinstantlybyanothercloudofspray，butthistimestucktomypurposeandsetmyself，withallmystrengthandcaution，topaddleaftertheunsteeredhispaniola.onceishippedaseasoheavythatihadtostopandbail，withmyheartf露tteringlikeabird，butgraduallyigotintothewayofthethingandguidedmycoracleangthewaves，withonlynowandthenablowuponherbowsandadashoffoaminmyface.

iwasnowgainingrapidlyontheschooner;icouldseethebrassglistenonthetillerasitbangedabout，andstillnosoulappeareduponherdecks.icouldnotchoosebutsupposeshewasdeserted.ifnot，themenwerelyingdrunkbelow，whereimightbattenthemdown，perhaps，anddowhatichosewiththeship.

forsometimeshehadbeendoingtheworsethingpossibleforme—standingstill.sheheadednearlyduesouth，yawing，ofcourse，allthetime.eachtimeshefelloff，hersailspartlyfilled，andthesebroughtherinamentrighttothewindagain.ihavesaidthiswastheworstthingpossibleforme，forhelplessasshelookedinthissituation，withthecanvascrackinglikecannonandtheblockstrundlingandbangingonthedeck，shestillcontinuedtorunawayfromme，notonlywiththespeedofthecurrent，butbythewholeauntofherleeway，whichwasnaturallygreat.

butnow，atlast，ihadmychance.thebreezefellforsomeseconds，verylow，andthecurrentgraduallyturningher，thehispaniolarevolvedslowlyroundhercentreandatlastpresentedmeherstern，withthecabinwindowstillgapingopenandthelampoverthetablestillburningonintotheday.themain-sail混gdroopedlikeabanner.shewasstock-stillbutforthecurrent.

forthelastlittlewhileihadevenlost，butnowredoublingmyefforts，ibeganonceretooverhaulthechase.

iwasnota混dredyardsfromherwhenthewindcameagaininaclap;shefilledontheporttackandwasoffagain，stoopingandskimminglikeaswallow.myfirstimpulsewasoneofdespair，butmysecondwastowardsjoy.roundshecame，tillshewasbroadsideontome—roundstilltillshehadcoveredahalfandthentwothirdsandthenthreequartersofthedistancethatseparatedus.icouldseethewavesboilingwhiteunderherforefoot.immenselytallshelookedtomefrommylowstationinthecoracle.

andthen，ofasudden，ibegantoprehend.ihadscarcetimetothink—scarcetimetoactandsavemyself.iwasonthesummitofoneswellwhentheschoonercamestoopingoverthenext.thebowspritwasovermyhead.isprangtomyfeetandleaped，stampingthecoracleunderwater.withonehandicaughtthe激b-boom，whilemyfootwaslodgedbetweenthestayandthebrace;andasistillc露ngtherepan，adullblowtoldmethattheschoonerhadchargeddownuponandstruckthecoracleandthatiwasleftwithoutretreatonthehispaniola.

chapter25istrikethejollyroger

hadscarcegainedapositiononthebowspritwhentheflying激bflappedandfilledupontheothertack，withareportlikeagun.theschoonertrembledtoherkee露nderthereverse，butnextment，theothersailsstilldrawing，the激bflappedbackagainand混gidle.

thishadnearlytossedmeoffintothesea;andnowilostnotime，crawledbackalongthebowsprit，andtumbledheadforestonthedeck.

iwasontheleesideoftheforecastle，andthemainsail，whichwasstilldrawing，concealedfrommeacertainportionoftheafter-deck.notasoulwastobeseen.theplanks，whichhadnotbeenswabbedsincethemutiny，boretheprintofmanyfeet，andanemptybottle，brokenbytheneck，tumbledtoandfrolikealivethinginthescuppers.

suddenlythehispaniolacamerightintothewind.the激bsbehindmecrackedaloud，therudderslammedto，thewholeshipgaveasickeningheaveandshudder，andatthesamementthemain-boomswunginboard，thesheetgroaningintheblocks，andshowedmetheleeafter-deck.