PART V My Sea Adventure（第2页）

thewhiterock，visibleenoughabovethebrush，wasstillsomeeighthofamilefurtherdownthespit，andittookmeagoodishwhiletogetupwithit，crawling，oftenonallfours，angthescrub.nighthadalstewhenilaidmyhandonitsroughsides.rightbelowittherewasanexceedinglysmallhollowofgreenturf，hiddenbybanksandathickunderwoodaboutknee-deep，thatgrewthereveryplentifully;andinthecentreofthedell，sureenough，alittletentofgoat-skins，likewhatthegipsiescarryaboutwiththeminengland.

idroppedintothehollow，liftedthesideofthetent，andtherewasbengunnsboat—home-madeifeveranythingwashome-made;arude，lop-sidedframeworkoftoughwood，andstretcheduponthatacoveringofgoat-skin，withthehairinside.thethingwasextremelysmall，evenforme，andicanhardlyimagihatitcouldhavefloatedwithafull-sizedman.therewasohwartsetaslowaspossible，akindofstretcherinthebows，andadoublepaddleforpropulsion.

ihadnotthenseenacoracle，suchastheancientbritonsmade，butihaveseenonesince，andicangiveyounofairerideaofbengunnsboatthanbysayingitwaslikethefirstandtheworstcoracleevermadebyman.butthegreatadvantageofthecoracleitcertainlypossessed，foritwasexceedinglylightandportable.

well，nowthatihadfoundtheboat，youwouldhavethoughtihadhadenoughoftruantryforonce，butinthemeantimeihadtakenanothernotionandbeesoobstinatelyfondofitthatiwouldhavecarrieditout，ibelieve，intheteethofcaptainslletthimself.thiswastoslipoutundercoverofthenight，cutthehispaniolaadrift，andlethergoashorewhereshefancied.ihadquitemadeupmymindthatthemutineers，aftertheirrepulseoftherning，hadnothingnearertheirheartsthantoupanchorandawaytosea;this，ithought，itwouldbeafihingtoprevent，andnowthatihadseenhowtheylefttheirwatchmenunprovidedwithaboat，ithoughtitmightbedonewithlittlerisk.

downisattowaitfordarkness，andmadeaheartymealofbiscuit.itwasanightoutoftenthousandformypurpose.thefoghadnowburiedallheaven.asthelastraysofdaylightdwindledanddisappeared，abso露teblacknesssettleddownontreasureisland.andwhen，atlast，ishoulderedthecoracleandgropedmywaystumblinglyoutofthehollowwhereihadsupped，therewerebuttwopointsvisibleonthewholeanchorage.

onewasthegreatfireonshore，bywhichthedefeatedpirateslaycarousingintheswamp.theother，amereb露roflightuponthedarkness，indicatedthepositionoftheanchoredship.shehadswungroundtotheebb—herbowwasnowtowardsme—theonlylightsonboardwereinthecabin，andwhatisawwasmerelyareflectiononthefogofthestrongraysthatflowedfromthesternwindow.

theebbhadalreadyrunsometime，andihadtowadethroughalongbeltofswampysand，whereisankseveraltimesabovetheankle，beforeicametotheedgeoftheretreawater，andwadingalittlewayin，withsomestrengthanddexterity，setmycoracle，keeldownwards，onthesurface.

chapter23theebb-tideruns

hecoracle—asihadamplereasontoknowbeforeiwasdonewithher—wasaverysafeboatforapersonofmyheightandweight，bothbuoyantandcleverinaseaway;butshewasthestcrossgrained，lop-sidedcrafttomanage.doasyoupleased，shealwaysmadereleewaythananythingelse，andturningroundandroundwasthemanoeuvreshewasbestat.evenbengunnhimselfhasadmittedthatshewas"queertohandletillyouknewherway."

certainlyididnotknowherway.sheturnedineverydirectionbuttheoneiwasboundtogo;thestpartofthetimewewerebroadsideon，andiamverysureinevershouldhavemadetheshipatallbutforthetide.bygoodfortune，paddleasipleased，thetidewasstillsweepingmedown;andtherelaythehispaniolarightinthefairway，hardlytobemissed.

firstsheloomedbeforemelikeablotofsomethingyetblackerthandarkness，thenhersparsandhullbegantotakeshape，andthenextment，asitseemed（for，thefartheriwent，thebriskergrewthecurrentoftheebb），iwasalongsideofherhawserandhadlaidhold.

thehawserwasastautasabowstring，andthecurrentsostrongshepulleduponheranchor.allroundthehull，intheblackness，theripplingcurrentbubbledandchatteredlikealittleuntainstreaonecutwithmysea-gullyandthehispaniolawouldgohummingdownthetide.

sofarsogood，urredtomyrecollectionthatatauthawser，suddenlycut，isathingasdangerousasakickinghorse.tentoone，ifiweresofoolhardyastocutthehispaniolafromheranchor，iandthecoraclewouldbeknockedcleanoutofthewater.

thisbroughtmetoafullstop，andiffortunehadnotagainparticularlyfavouredme，ishouldhavehadtoabandonmydesign.butthelightairswhichhadbegunblowingfromthesouth-eastandsouthhadhauledroundafternightfallintothesouth-west.justwhileiwasmedita，apuffcame，caughtthehispaniola，andforcedherupintothecurrent;andtomygreatjoy，ifeltthehawserslackeninmygrasp，andthehandbywhichihelditdipforasecondunderwater.

withthatimademymindup，tookoutmygully，openeditwithmyteeth，andcutonestrandafteranother，tillthevesselswungonlybytwo.thenilayquiet，waitosevertheselastwhenthestrainshouldbeoncerelightenedbyabreathofwind.

allthistimeihadheardthesoundofloudvoicesfromthecabin，buttosaytruth，mymindhadbeensoentirelytakenupwithotherthoughtsthatihadscarcelygivenear.now，however，whenihadnothingelsetodo，ibegantopayreheed.

oneirecognizedforthecoxswains，israelhands，thathadbeenflintsgunnerinformerdays.theotherwas，ofcourse，myfriendoftherednight-cap.bothmenwereplainlytheworseofdrink，andtheywerestilldrinking，forevenwhileiwaslistening，oneofthem，withadrunkencry，openedthesternwindowandthrewoutsomething，whichidivinedtobeanemptybottle.buttheywerenotonlytipsy;itwasplainthattheywerefuriouslyangry.oathsflewlikehailstones，andeverynowandthentherecameforthsuchanexplosionasithoughtwassuretoendinblows.buteachtimethequarrelpassedoffandthevoicesgrumbledlowerforawhile，untilthenextcrisiscameandinitsturnpassedawaywithoutresult.

onshore，icouldseetheglowofthegreatcamp-fireburningwarmlythroughtheshore-sidetrees.someonewassinging，adull，old，droningsailorssong，withadroopandaquaverattheendofeveryverse，andseeminglynoendtoitatallbutthepatienceofthesinger.ihadhearditonthevoyagerethanonceandrememberedthesewords:

"butonemanofhercrewalive，

whatputtoseawithseventy-five.

andithoughtitwasadittyrathertoodolefullyappropriateforapanythathadmetsuchcruellossesintherning.but，indeed，fromwhatisaw，aneerswereascallousastheseatheysailedon.

atlastthebreezecame;theschoonersidledanddrewnearerinthedark;ifeltthehawserslackenoncere，andwithagood，tougheffort，cutthelastfibresthrough.

thebreezehadbutlittleactiononthecoracle，andiwasalstinstantlysweptagainstthebowsofthehispaniola.atthesametime，theschoonerbegantoturnuponherheel，spinningslowly，endforend，acrossthecurrent.

iwroughtlikeafiend，foriexpectedeverymenttobeswamped;andsinceifoundicouldnotpushthecoracledirectlyoff，inowshovedstraightastern.atlengthiwasclearofmydangerousneighbour，andjustasigavethelastimpulsion，myhandscameacrossalightcordthatwastrailingoverboardacrossthesternbulwarks.instantlyigraspedit.

whyishouldhavedonesoicanhardlysay.itwasatfirstmereinstinct，butonceihaditinmyhandsandfounditfast，curiositybegantogettheupperhand，andideterminedishouldhaveonelookthroughthecabinwindow.

ipulledinhandoverhandonthecord，andwhenijudgedmyselfnearenough，roseatinfiniterisktoabouthalfmyheightandthusmandedtheroofandasliceoftheinteriorofthecabin.