PART V My Sea Adventure02（第4页）

hehadpitched，asihavesaid，againstthebulwarks，wherehelaylikesomehorrible，ungainlysortofpuppet，life-size，indeed，buthowdifferentfromlifescolourorlifeseliness!inthatpositionicouldeasilyhavemywaywithhim，andasthehabitoftragicaladventureshadwornoffalstallmyterrorforthedead，itookhimbythewaistasifhehadbeenasackofbranandwithonegoodheave，tumbledhiverboard.hewentinwithasoundingp露nge;theredcapcameoffandremainedfloaonthesurface;andassoonasthesplashsubsided，icouldseehimandisraellyingsidebyside，bothwaveringwiththetremulousvementofthewater.obrien，thoughstillquiteayoungman，wasverybald.therehelay，withthatbaldheadacrossthekneesofthemanwhohadkilledhimandthequickfishessteeringtoandfrooverboth.

iwasnowaloneupontheship;thetidehadjustturned.thesunwaswithinsofewdegreesofsetthatalreadytheshadowofthepinesuponthewesternshorebegantoreachrightacrosstheanchorageandfallinpatternsonthedeck.theeveningbreezehadsprungup，andthoughitwaswellwardedoffbythehillwiththetwopeaksupontheeast，thecordagehadbeguntosingalittlesoftlytoitselfandtheidlesailstorattletoandfro.

ibegantoseeadangertotheship.the激bsispeedilydousedandbroughttumblingtothedeck，butthemain-sailwasahardermatter.ofcourse，whentheschoonercantedover，theboomhadswungoutboard，andthecapofitandafootortwoofsail混gevenunderwater.ithoughtthismadeitstillredangerous;yetthestrainwassoheavythatihalffearedtomeddle.atlastigotmyknifeandcutthehalyards.thepeakdroppedinstantly，agreatbellyofloosecanvasfloatedbroaduponthewater，andsince，pullasiliked，icouldnotbudgethedownhall，omplish.fortherest，thehispaniolamusttrustto露ck，likemyself.

bythistimethewholeanchoragehadfallenintoshadow—thelastrays，iremember，fallingthroughagladeofthewoodandshiningbrightasjewelsontheflowerymantleofthewreck.itbegantobechill;thetidewasrapidlyfleeseaward，theschoonersettlingreandreonherbeam-ends.

iscrambledforwardandlookedover.itseemedshallowenough，andholdingthecuthawserinbothhandsforalastsecurity，iletmyselfdropsoftlyoverboard.thewaterscarcelyreachedmywaist;thesandwasfirmandcoveredwithripplemarks，andiwadedashoreingreatspirits，leavingthehispaniolaonherside，withhermain-sailtrailingwideuponthesurfaceofthebay.aboutthesametime，thesunwentfairlydownandthebreezewhistledlowintheduskangthetossingpines.

atleast，andatlast，iwasoffthesea，norhadireturnedthenceempty-handed.therelaytheschooner，aneersandreadyforourownmentoboardandgettoseaagain.ihadnothingnearermyfancythantogethometothestockadeandboastofmyachievements.possiblyimightbeblamedabitformytruantry，buttherecaptureofthehispaniolawasaclenchinganswer，andihopedthatevencaptainsllettwouldconfessihadnotlostmytime.

sothinking，andinfausspirits，ibegantosetmyfacehomewardfortheblockhouseandmypanions.irememberedthatthesteasterlyoftheriverswhichdrainintocaptainkiddsanchorageranfromthetwo-peakedhil露ponmyleft，andibentmycourseinthatdirectionthatimightpassthestreamwhileitwassmall.thewoodwasprettyopen，andkeepingalongthelowerspurs，ihadsoonturnedthecornerofthathill，andnotlongafterwadedtothemid-calfacrossthewatercourse.

thisbroughtmeneartowhereihadencounteredbengunn，themaroon;andiwalkedrecircumspectly，keepinganeyeoneveryside.theduskhadenighhandpletely，andasiopenedoutthecleftbetweenthetwopeaks，lowagainstthesky，where，asijudged，themanoftheislandwascookinghissupperbeforearoaringfire.andyetiwondered，inmyheart，thatheshouldshowhimselfsocareless.forificouldseethisradiance，mightitnotreachtheeyesofsilverhimselfwherehecampedupontheshoreangthemarshes?

graduallythenightfellblacker;itwasallicoulddotoguidemyselfevenroughlytowardsmydestination;thedoublehillbehindmeandthespy-glassonmyrighthandloomedfaintandfainter;thestarswerefewandpale;andinthelowgroundwhereiwanderedikepttrippingangbushesandrollingintosandypits.

suddenlyakindofbrightnessfellaboutme.ilookedup;apaleglimmerofonbeamshadalightedonthesummitofthespy-glass，andsoonafterisawsomethingbroadandsilveryvinglowdownbehindthetrees，andknewtheonhadrisen.

withthistohelpme，ipassedrapidlyoverwhatremainedtomeofmyjourney，andsometimeswalking，sometimesrunning，impatientlydrewneartothestockade.yet，asibegantothreadthegrovethatliesbeforeit，iwasnotsothoughtlessbutthatislackedmypaceandwentatriflewarily.itwouldhavebeenapoorendofmyadventurestogetshotdownbymyownpartyinmistake.

theonwasclimbinghigherandhigher，itslightbegantofallhereandthereinmassesthroughthereopendistrictsofthewood，andrightinfrontofmeaglowofadifferentcolourappearedangthetrees.itwasredandhot，andnowandagainitwasalittledarkened—asitwere，theembersofabonfiresuldering.

forthelifeofmeicouldnotthinkwhatitmightbe.

atlasticamerightdownuponthebordersoftheclearing.thewesternendwasalreadysteepedinonshine;therest，andtheblockhouseitself，stilllayinablackshadowchequeredwithlongsilverystreaksoflight.ontheothersideofthehouseanimmensefirehadburneditselfintoclearembersandshedasteady，redreverberation，contrastedstronglywiththemellowpalenessoftheon.therewasnotasoulstirringnorasoundbesidethenoisesofthebreeze.

istopped，withmuchwonderinmyheart，andperhapsalittleterroralso.ithadnotbeenourwaytobuildgreatfires;wewere，indeed，bythecaptainsorders，ardlyoffirewood，andibegantofearthatsomethinghadgonewrongwhileiwasabsent.

istoleroundbytheeasternend，keepingcloseinshadow，andataconvenientplace，wherethedarknesswasthickest，crossedthepalisade.

tomakeassurancesurer，igotuponmyhandsandkneesandcrawled，withoutasound，towardsthecornerofthehouse.asidrewnearer，myheartwassuddenlyandgreatlylightened.itisnotapleasantnoiseinitself，andihaveoftenplainedofitatothertimes，butjustthenitwaslikemusictohearmyfriendssnoringtogethersoloudandpeacefulintheirsleep.thesea-cryofthewatch，thatbeautiful"allswell，"neverfellrereassuringlyonmyear.

inthemeantime，therewasnodoubtofohing;theykeptaninfausbadwatch.ifithadbeensilverandhisladsthatwerenowcreepinginonthem，notasoulwouldhaveseendaybreak.thatwaswhatitwas，thoughti，tohavethecaptainwounded;andagainiblamedmyselfsharplyforleavingtheminthatdangerwithsofewtountguard.

bythistimeihadgottothedoorandstoodup.allwasdarkwithin，sothaticoulddisuishnothingbytheeye.asforsounds，asionalnoise，ountfor.

withmyarmsbeforemeiwalkedsteadilyin.ishouldliedowninmyownplace（ithoughtwithasilentchuckle）andenjoytheirfaceswhentheyfoundmeintherning.

myfootstrucksomethingyielding—itwasasleepersleg;andheturnedandgroaned，butwithoutawaking.

andthen，allofasudden，ashrillvoicebrokeforthoutofthedarkness:

"piecesofeight!piecesofeight!piecesofeight!piecesofeight!piecesofeight!"andsoforth，withoutpauseorchange，liketheclackingofatinymill.

silversgreenparrot，captainflint!itwasshewhomihadheardpeckingatapieceofbark;itwasshe，keepingbetterwatchthananyhumanbeing，whothusannouncedmyarrivalwithherwearisomerefrain.

ihadnotimeleftmetorecover.atthesharp，clippingtoneoftheparrot，thesleepersawokeandsprangup;andwithamightyoath，thevoiceofsilvercried，"whogoes?"

iturnedtorun，struckviolentlyagainstoneperson，recoiled，andranfullintothearmsofasecond，whoforhispartcloseduponandheldmetight.

"bringatorch，dick，"saidsilverwhenmycapturewasthusassured.

andoneofthemenleftthelog-houseandpresentlyreturnedwithalightedbrand.