PART IV The Stockade02（第1页）

"somebodyhailingus，"saidhunter，whowasonguard.

"doctor!squire!captain!hullo，hunter，isthatyou?"camethecries.

andirantothedoorintimetosee激mhawkins，safeandsound，eclimbingoverthestockade.

chapter19narrativeresumedby激mhawkins:thegarrisoninthestockade

ssoonasbengunnsawthecolourshecametoahalt，stoppedmebythearm，andsatdown.

"now，"saidhe，"theresyourfriends，sureenough."

"farrelikelyitsthemutineers，"ianswered.

"that!"hecried."why，inaplacelikethis，wherenobodyputsinbutgenlemenoffortune，silverwouldflythejollyroger，youdontmakenodoubtofthat.no，thatsyourfriends.theresbeenblowstoo，andireckonyourfriendshashadthebestofit;andheretheyareashoreintheoldstockade，aswasmadeyearsandyearsagobyflint.ah，hewasthemantohaveaheadpiece，wasflint!barringrum，hismatchwereneverseen.hewereafraidofnone，nothe;onysilver—silverwasthatgenteel."

"well，"saidi，"thatmaybeso，andsobeit;alltherereasonthatishouldhurryonandjoinmyfriends."

"nay，mate，"returnedben，"notyou.youreagoodboy，orimmistook;butyoureonyaboy，alltold.now，bengunnisfly.rumwouldntbringmethere，whereyouregoing—notrumwouldnt，tilliseeyourborngenlemanandgetsitonhiswordofhonour.andyouwontforgetmywords;aprecioussight（thatswhatyoullsay），aprecioussightreconfidenceandthennipshi"

andhepinchedmethethirdtimewiththesameairofcleverness.

"andwhenbengunniswanted，youknowwheretofindhim，激justwheeryoufoundhimtoday.andhimthatesistohaveawhitethinginhishand，andhestoealone.oh!andyoullsaythis:bengunn，saysyou，hasreasonsofhisown."

"well，"saidi，"ibelieveiunderstand.youhavesomethingtopropose，andyouwishtoseethesquireorthedoctor，andyouretobefoundwhereifoundyou.isthatall?"

"andwhen?saysyou，"headded."why，fromaboutnoonobservationtoaboutsixbells."

"good，"saidi，"andnowmayigo?"

"youwontforget?"heinquiredanxiously."precioussight，andreasonsofhisown，saysyou.reasonsofhisown;thatsthemainstay;asbetweenmanandman.well，then"—stillholdingme—"ireckonyoucango，激and，激m，ifyouwastoseesilver，youwouldntgofortosellbengunn?wildhorseswouldntdrawitfromyou?no，saysyou.andifthempiratescampashore，激m，whatwouldyousaybuttheredbewiddersintherning?"

herehewasinterruptedbyaloudreport，andacannonballcametearingthroughthetreesandpitchedinthesandnota混dredyardsfromwherewetwoweretalking.thenextmenteachofushadtakentohisheelsinadifferentdirection.

foragoodhourtoefrequentreportsshooktheisland，andballskeptcrashingthroughthewoods.ivedfromhiding-placetohiding-place，alwayspursued，orsoitseemedtome，bytheseterrifyingmissiles.buttowardstheendofthebombardment，thoughstillidurstnotventureinthedirectionofthestockade，wheretheballsfelloftenest，ihadbegun，inamanner，top露ckupmyheartagain，andafteralongdetourtotheeast，creptdownangtheshore-sidetrees.

thesunhadjustset，theseabreezewasrustlingandtumblinginthewoodsandrufflingthegreysurfaceoftheanchorage;thetide，too，wasfarout，andgreattractsofsandla玉ncovered;theair，aftertheheatoftheday，chilledmethroughmyjacket.

thehispaniolastilllaywhereshehadanchored;but，sureenough，therewasthejollyroger—theblackflagofpiracy—flyingfromherpeak.evenasilooked，therecameanotherredflashandanotherreportthatsenttheechoesclattering，andonereround-shotwhistledthroughtheair.itwasthelastofthecannonade.

eededtheattack.menweredelishingsomethingwithaxesonthebeachnearthestockade—thepoorjolly-boat，iafterwardsdiscovered.away，neartheuthoftheriver，agreatfirewasglowingangthetrees，andbetweenthatpointandtheshiponeofthegigskeptingandgoing，themen，whomihadseensogloomy，shouattheoarslikechildren.estedru

atlengthithoughtimightreturntowardsthestockade.iwasprettyfardownonthelow，sandyspitthatenclosestheanchoragetotheeast，andisjoinedathalf-watertoskeletonisland;andnow，asirosetomyfeet，isaw，somedistancefurtherdownthespitandrisingfromanglowbushes，anisolatedrock，prettyhigh，andpeculiarlywhiteincolour.urredtomethatthismightbethewhiterockofwhichbengunnhadspokenandthatsomedayorotheraboatmightbewantedandishouldknowwheretolookforone.

theniskirtedangthewoodsuntilihadregainedtherear，orshorewardside，ofthestockade，andwassoonwarmlyweledbythefaithfulparty.

ihadsoontoldmystoryandbegantolookaboutme.thelog-housewasmadeofunsquaredtrunksofpine—roof，walls，andfloor.thelatterstoodinseveralplacesasmuchasafootorafootandahalfabovethesurfaceofthesand.therewasaporchatthedoor，andunderthisporchthelittlespringwelledupintoanartificialbasinofaratheroddkind—nootherthanagreatshipskettleofiron，withthebottomknockedout，andsunk"toherbearings，"asthecaptainsaid，angthesand.

littlehadbeenleftbesidestheframeworkofthehouse，butinonecornertherewasastoneslablaiddownbywayofhearthandanoldrustyironbaskettocontainthefire.

theslopesoftheknollandalltheinsideofthestockadehadbeenclearedoftimbertobuildthehouse，andwecouldseebythestumpswhatafineandloftygrovehadbeendestroyed.stofthesoilhadbeenwashedawayorburiedindriftaftertherevalofthetrees;onlywherethestreamletrandownfromthekettleathickbedofssandsomefernsandlittlecreepingbusheswerestillgreenangthesand.veryclosearoundthestockade—tooclosefordefence，theysaid—thewoodstillflourishedhighanddense，alloffironthelandside，buttowardstheseawithalargeadmixtureoflive-oaks.

thecoldeveningbreeze，ofwhichihavespoken，whistledthrougheverychinkoftherudebuildingandsprinkledthefloorwithacontinualrainoffinesandtherewassandinoureyes，sandinourteeth，sandinoursuppers，sanddancinginthespringatthebottofthekettle，foralltheworldlikeporridgebeginningtoboil.ourchimneywasasquareholeintheroof;itwasbutalittlepartoftheskethatfounditswayout，andtheresteddiedaboutthehouseandkeptuscoughingandpipingtheeye.

addtothisthatgray，thenewman，hadhisfacetiedupinabandageforacuthehadgotinbreakingawayfromthemutineersandthatpooroldtomredruth，stil露nburied，layalongthewall，stiffandstark，undertheunionjack.

ifwehadbeenallowedtositidle，weshouldallhavefallenintheb露es，butcaptainsllettwasneverthemanforthat.allhandswerecalledupbeforehim，andhedividedusintowatches.thedoctorandgrayandiforone;thesquire，hunter，andjoyceupontheother.tiredthoughweallwere，twoweresentoutforfirewood;tworeweresettodigagraveforredruth;thedoctorwasnamedcook;iwasputsentryatthedoor;andthecaptainhimselfwentfrooanother，keepingupourspiritsandlendingahandwhereveritwaswanted.

fromtimetotimethedoctorcametothedoorforalittleairandtoresthiseyes，whichwerealstskedoutofhishead，andwheneverhedidso，hehadawordforme.

"thatmansllett，"hesaidonce，"isabettermanthaniaandwhenisaythatitmeansadeal，激"