PART IV The Stockade02（第5页）

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

"three!"repeatedthecaptain."andhowmanyonyours，mr.trelawney?"

butthiswasnotsoeasilyanswered.therehademanyfromthenorth—sevenbythesquiresputation，ordingtogray.fromtheeastandwestonlyasingleshothadbeenfired.itwasplain，therefore，thattheattackwouldbedevelopedfromthenorthandthatontheotherthreesideswewereonlytobeannoyedbyashowofhostilities.butcaptainsllettmadenochangeinhisarrangements.eededincrossingthestockade，heargued，theywouldtakepossessionofan玉nprotectedloopholeandshootusdownlikeratsinourownstronghold.

norhadwemuchtimelefttousforthought.suddenly，withaloudhuzza，alittlecloudofpiratesleapedfromthewoodsonthenorthsideandranstraightonthestockade.atthesamement，thefirewasoncereopenedfromthewoods，andarifleballsangthroughthedoorwayandknockedthedoctorsmusketintobits.

theboardersswarmedoverthefencelikenkeys.squireandgrayfiredagainandyetagain;threemenfell，oneforwardsintotheenclosure，twobackontheoutside.butofthese，onewasevidentlyrefrightenedthanhurt，forhewasonhisfeetagaininacrackandinstantlydisappearedangthetrees.

twohadbitthedust，onehadfled，fourhadmadegoodtheirfooinsideourdefences，whilefromtheshelterofthewoodssevenoreightmen，eachevidentlysuppliedwithseveralmuskets，keptupahotthoughuselessfireonthelog-house.

thefourwhohadboardedmadestraightbeforethemforthebuilding，shouastheyran，andthemenangthetreesshoutedbacktoencouragetheseveralshotswerefired，butsuchwasthehurryofthemarksmenthatnotoneappearstohavetakeneffect.inament，thefourpirateshadswarmeduptheundandwereuponus.

theheadofjobanderson，theboatswain，appearedatthemiddleloophole.

"atem，allhands—allhands!"heroaredinavoiceoft混der.

atthesamement，anotherpirategraspedhuntersmusketbythemuzzle，wrencheditfromhishands，p露ckeditthroughtheloophole，andwithonestunningblow，laidthepoorfellowsenselessonthefloor.meanwhileathird，runningunharmedallaroundthehouse，appearedsuddenlyinthedoorwayandfellwithhiscutlassonthedoctor.

ourpositionwasutterlyreversed.amentsincewewerefiring，undercover，atanexposedenemy;nowitwaswewhola玉ncoveredandcouldnotreturnablow.

thelog-housewasfullofske，towhichweowedourparativesafety.criesandconfusion，theflashesandreportsofpistol-shots，andoneloudgroanranginmyears.

"out，lads，out，andfightemintheopen!cutlasses!"criedthecaptain.

isnatchedacutlassfromthepile，andsomeone，atthesametimesnatchinganother，gavemeacutacrosstheknuckleswhichihardlyfelt.idashedoutofthedoorintotheclearsunlight.someonewasclosebehind，iknewnotwhorightinfront，thedoctorwaspursuinghisassailantdownthehill，andjustasmyeyesfel露ponhim，beatdownhisguardandsenthimsprawlingonhisbackwithagreatslashacrosstheface.

"roundthehouse，lads!roundthehouse!"criedthecaptain;andeveninthehurly-burly，iperceivedachangeinhisvoice.

mechanically，iobeyed，turnedeastwards，andwithmycutlassraised，ranroundthecornerofthehouse.nextmentiwasfacetofacewithanderson.heroaredaloud，andhishangerwentupabovehishead，flashinginthesunlight.ihadnottimetobeafraid，butastheblowstill混gimpending，leapedinatriceupononeside，andmissingmyfootinthesoftsand，rolledheadlongdowntheslope.

whenihadfirstsalliedfromthedoor，theothermutineershadbeenalreadyswarmingupthepalisadetomakeanendofus.oneman，inarednight-cap，withhiscutlassinhisuth，hadevengotuponthetopandthrownalegacross.well，soshorthadbeentheintervalthatwhenifoundmyfeetagainallwasinthesameposture，thefellowwiththerednight-capstillhalf-wayover，anotherstilljustshowinghisheadabovethetopofthestockade.andyet，inthisbreathoftime，thefightwasoverandthevictorywasours.

gray，followingclosebehindme，hadcutdownthebigboatswainerehehadtimetorecoverfromhislastblow.anotherhadbeenshotataloopholeintheveryactoffiringintothehouseandnowlayinagony，thepistolstillskinginhishand.athird，asihadseen，thedoctorhaddisposedofatablow.ofthefourwhohadscaledthepalisade，ountedfor，andhe，havinglefthiscutlassonthefield，wasnowclamberingoutagainwiththefearofdeathuponhi

"fire—firefromthehouse!"criedthedoctor."andyou，lads，backintocover."

buthiswordswereunheeded，noshotwasfired，andthelastboardermadegoodhisescapeanddisappearedwiththerestintothewood.inthreesecondsnothingremainedoftheattackingpartybutthefivewhohadfallen，fourontheinsideandoneontheoutsideofthepalisade.

thedoctorandgrayandiranfullspeedforshelter.thesurvivorswouldsoonbebackwheretheyhadlefttheirmuskets，andatanymentthefiremightremence.

thehousewasbythistimesomewhatclearedofske，andwesawataglancethepricewehadpaidforvictory.hunterlaybesidehisloophole，stunned;joycebyhis，shotthroughthehead，nevertoveagain;whilerightinthecentre，thesquirewassupporthecaptain，oneaspaleastheother.

"thecaptainswounded，"saidmr.trelawney.

"havetheyrun?"askedmr.sllett.

"allthatcould，youmaybebound，"returnedthedoctor;"buttheresfiveofthemwillneverrunagain.

"five!"criedthecaptain."e，thatsbetter.fiveagainstthreeleavesusfourtonine.thatsbetteroddsthanwehadatstar.wewereseventonieenthen，orthoughtwewere，andthatsasbadtobear."*

*themutineersweresoononlyeightinnumber，forthemanshotbymr.trelawneyonboardtheschoonerdiedthatsameeveningofhiswound.butthiswas，ofcourse，notknowntillafterbythefaithfulparty.