PART IV The Stockade（第1页）

chapter16narrativecontinuedbythedoctor:howtheshipwasabandoned

twasabouthalfpastone—threebellsintheseaphrase—thatthetwoboatswentashorefromthehispaniola.thecaptain，thesquire，andiweretalkingmattersoverinthecabin.hadtherebeenabreathofwind，weshouldhavefallenonthesixmutineerswhowereleftaboardwithus，slippedourcable，andawaytosea.butthewindwaswan;andtopleteourhelplessness，downcamehunterwiththenewsthat激mhawkinshadslippedintoaboatandwasgoneashorewiththerest.

urredtoustodoubt激mhawkins，butwewerealarmedforhissafety.withthemeninthetempertheywerein，itseemedanevenchanceifweshouldseetheladagain.weranondeck.thepitchwasbubblingintheseams;thenastystenchoftheplaceturnedmesick;ifeveramansmeltfeveranddysentery，itwasinthatabominableanchorage.rumblingunderasailintheforecastle;ashorewecouldseethegigsmadefastandamansitineach，hardbywheretheriverrunsin.oneofthemwaswhistling"lillibullero."

waiwasastrain，anditwasdecidedthathunterandishouldgoashorewiththejolly-boatinquestofinformation.

thegigshadleanedtotheirright，buthunterandipulledstraightin，inthedirectionofthestockadeuponthechart.thetwowhowereleftguardingtheirboatsseemedinabustleatourappearance;"lillibullero"stoppedoff，andicouldseethepairdiscussingwhattheyoughttodo.hadtheygoneandtoldsilver，allmighthaveturnedoutdifferently;buttheyhadtheirorders，isuppose，anddecidedtositquietlywheretheywereandharkbackagainto"lillibullero."

therewasaslightbendinthecoast，andisteeredsoastoputitbetweenus;evenbeforewelandedwehadthuslostsightofthegigs.ijumpedoutandcameasnearrunningasidurst，withabigsilkhandkerchiefundermyhatforcoolnesssakeandabraceofpistolsreadyprimedforsafety.

ihadnotgonea混dredyardswhenireachedthestockade.

thiswashowitwas:aspringofclearwaterrosealstatthetopofaknoll.well，ontheknoll，andenclosingthespring，theyhadclappedastoutloghousefittoholdtwoscoreofpeopleonapinchandloopholedformusketryoneitherside.allroundthistheyhadclearedawidespace，andthenthethingwaspletedbyapalingsixfeethigh，withoutdoororopening，toostrongtopulldownwithouttimeandlabourandtooopentoshelterthebesiegers.thepeopleinthelog-househadthemineveryway;theystoodquietinshelterandshottheotherslikepartridges.alltheywantedwasagoodwatchandfood;for，shortofapletesurprise，theymighthaveheldtheplaceagainstaregiment.

whatparticularlytookmyfancywasthespring.forthoughwehadagoodenoughplaceofitinthecabinofthehispaniola，withplentyofarmsandammunition，andthingstoeat，andexcellentwines，therehadbeenohingoverlooked—wehadnowater.iwasthinkingthisoverwhentherecameringingovertheislandthecryofamanatthepointofdeath.iwasnotnewtoviolentdeath—ihaveservedhisroyalhighnessthedukeofcumberland，andgotawoundmyselfatfontenoy—butiknowmypulsewentdotandcarryone."激mhawkinsisgone，"wasmyfirstthought.

itissomethingtohavebeenanoldsoldier，butrestilltohavebeenadoctor.thereisnotimetodillydallyinourwork.andsonowimadeupmymindinstantly，andwithnotimelostreturnedtotheshoreandjumpedonboardthejolly-boat.

bygoodfortunehunterpulledagoodoar.wemadethewaterfly，andtheboatwassoonalongsideandiaboardtheschooner.

ifoundthemallshaken，aswasnatural.thesquirewassitdown，aswhiteasasheet，thinkingoftheharmhehadledusto，thegoodsoul!andoneofthesixforecastlehandswaslittlebetter.

"theresaman，"sayscaptainsllett，noddingtowardshim，"newtothiswork.hecamenigh-handfain，doctor，whenheheardthecry.anothertouchoftherudderandthatmanwouldjoinus."

itoldmyplantothecaptain，omplishment.

weputoldredruthinthegallerybetweenthecabinandtheforecastle，withthreeorfourloadedmusketsandamattressforprotection.hunterbroughttheboatroundunderthestern-port，andjoyceandisettoworkloadingherwithpowdertins，muskets，bagsofbiscuits，kegsofpork，acaskofcognac，andmyinva露ablemedicinechest.

inthemeantime，thesquireandthecaptainstayedondeck，andthelatterhailedthecoxswain，whowastheprincipalmanaboard.

"mr.hands，"hesaid，"herearetwoofuswithabraceofpistolseach.ifanyoneofyousixmakeasignalofanydescription，thatmansdead."

theywereagooddealtakenaback，andafteralittleconsultationoneandalltumbleddowntheforepanion，thinkingnodoubttotakeusontherear.butwhentheysawredruthwaifortheminthesparredgalley，theywentaboutshipatonce，andaheadpoppedoutagainondeck.

"down，dog!"criesthecaptain.

andtheheadpoppedbackagain;andweheardnore，forthetime，ofthesesixveryfaint-heartedseamen.

bythistime，tumblingthingsinastheycame，wehadthejolly-boatloadedasmuchaswedared.joyceandigotoutthroughthestern-port，andwemadeforshoreagainasfastasoarscouldtakeus.

thissecondtripfairlyarousedthewatchersalongshore."lillibullero"wasdroppedagain;andjustbeforewelostsightofthembehindthelittlepoint，oneofthemwhippedashoreanddisappeared.ihadhalfamindtochangemyplananddestroytheirboats，butifearedthatsilverandtheothersmightbecloseathand，andallmightverywellbelostbytryingfortoomuch.

wehadsoontouchedlandinthesameplaceasbeforeandsettoprovisiontheblockhouse.allthreemadethefirstjourney，heavilyladen，andtossedourstoresoverthepalisade.then，leavingjoycetoguardthem—oneman，tobesure，butwithhalfadozenmuskets—hunterandireturnedtothejolly-boatandloadedourselvesoncere.soweproceededwithoutpausingtotakebreath，tillthewholecargowasbestowed，whenthetwoservantstookuptheirpositionintheblockhouse，andi，withallmypower，sculledbacktothehispaniola.

thatweshouldhaveriskedasecondboatloadseemsredaringthanitreallywas.theyhadtheadvantageofnumbers，ofcourse，butwehadtheadvantageofarms.notoneofthemenashorehadamusket，andbeforetheycouldgetwithinrangeforpistolshoo，ountofahalf-dozenatleast.

thesquirewaswaiformeatthesternwindow，allhisfaintnessgonefromhihecaughtthepainterandmadeitfast，andwefelltoloadingtheboatforourverylives.pork，powder，andbiscuitwasthecargo，withonlyamusketandacutlassapieceforthesquireandmeandredruthandthecaptain.therestofthearmsandpowderwedroppedoverboardintwofathomsandahalfofwater，sothatwecouldseethebrightsteelshiningfarbelowusinthesun，ontheclean，sandybotto

bythistimethetidewasbeginningtoebb，andtheshipwasswingingroundtoheranchor.voiceswereheardfaintlyhalloainginthedirectionofthetwogigs;andthoughthisreassuredusforjoyceandhunter，whowerewelltotheeastward，itwarnedourpartytobeoff.

redruthretreatedfromhisplaceinthegalleryanddroppedintotheboat，whichwethenbroughtroundtotheshipscounter，tobehandierforcaptainsllett.

"now，men，"saidhe，"doyouhearme?"

therewasnoanswerfromtheforecastle.

"itstoyou，abrahamgray—itstoyouiamspeaking."

stillnoreply.