PART V My Sea Adventure（第1页）

chapter22howibeganmyseaadventure

herewasnoreturnofthemutineers—notsomuchasanothershotoutofthewoods.theyhad"gottheirrationsforthatday，"asthecaptainputit，andwehadtheplacetoourselvesandaquiettimetooverhaulthewoundedandgetdinner.squireandicookedoutsideinspiteofthedanger，andevenoutsidewecouldhardlytellwhatwewereat，forhorroroftheloudgroansthatreachedusfromthedoctorspatients.

outoftheeightmenwhohadfallenintheaction，onlythreestillbreathed—thatoneofthepirateswhohadbeenshotattheloophole，hunter，andcaptainsllett;andofthese，thefirsttwowereasgoodasdead;themutineerindeeddiedunderthedoctorsknife，andhunter，dowhatwecould，neverrecoveredconsciousnessinthisworld.helingeredallday，aneerathomeinhisapoplecticfit，butthebonesofhischesthadbeencrushedbytheblowandhisskullfracturedinfalling，andsometimeinthefollowingnight，withoutsignorsound，hewenttohismaker.

asforthecaptain，hiswoundsweregrievousindeed，butnotdangerous.noorganwasfatallyinjured.andersonsball—foritwasjobthatshothimfirsthadbrokenhisshoulder-bladeandtouchedthe露ng，notbadly;thesecondhadonlytornanddisplacedsomemusclesinthecalf.hewassuretorecover，thedoctorsaid，butinthemeantime，andforweekstoe，hemustnotwalknorvehisarm，norsomuchasspeakwhenhecouldhelpit.

identalcutacrosstheknuckleswasaflea-bite.doctorliveseypatcheditupwithplasterandpulledmyearsformeintothebargain.

afterdinnerthesquireandthedoctorsatbythecaptainssideawhileinconsultation;andwhentheyhadtalkedtotheirheartscontent，itbeingthenalittlepastnoon，thedoctortookuphishatandpistols，girtonacutlass，putthechartinhispocket，andwithamusketoverhisshouldercrossedthepalisadeonthenorthsideandsetoffbrisklythroughthetrees.

grayandiweresittogetheratthefarendoftheblockhouse，tobeoutofearshotofourofficersconsul;andgraytookhispipeoutofhisuthandfairlyforgottoputitbackagain，sot混der-urrence.

"why，inthenameofdavyjones，"saidhe，"isdr.liveseymad?"

"whyno，"saysi."hesaboutthelastofthiscrewforthat，itakeit."

"well，shipmate，"saidgray，"madhemaynotbe;butifhesnot，youmarkmywords，ia"

"itakeit，"repliedi，"thedoctorhashisidea;andifiamright，hesgoingnowtoseebengunn."

iwasright，asappearedlater;butinthemeantime，thehousebeingstiflinghotandthelittlepatchofsandinsidethepalisadeablazewithmiddaysun，ibegantogetanotherthoughtintomyhead，whichwasnotbyanymeanssoright.whatibegantodowastoenvythedoctorwalkinginthecoolshadowofthewoodswiththebirdsabouthimandthepleasantsmellofthepines，whileisatgrilling，withmyclothesstucktothehotresin，andsomuchbloodaboutmeandsomanypoordeadbodieslyingallaroundthatitookadisgustoftheplacethatwasalstasstrongasfear.

allthetimeiwaswashingouttheblockhouse，andthenwashingupthethingsfromdinner，thisdisgustandenvykeptgrowingstrongerandstronger，tillatlast，beingnearabread-bag，andnoohenobservingme，itookthefirststeptowardsmyescapadeandfilledbothpocketsofmycoatwithbiscuit.

iwasafool，ifyoulike，andcertainlyiwasgoingtodoafoolish，over-boldact;butiwasdeterminedtodoitwithalltheprecautionsinmypower.thesebiscuits，shouldanythingbefallme，wouldkeepme，atleast，fromstarvingtillfaroninthenextday.

thenextthingilaidholdofwasabraceofpistols，andasialreadyhadapowder-hornandbullets，ifeltmyselfwellsuppliedwitharms.

asfortheschemeihadinmyhead，itwasnotabadoneinitself.iwastogodownthesandyspitthatdividestheanchorageontheeastfromtheopensea，findthewhiterockihadobservedlastevening，andascertainwhetheritwasthereornotthatbengunnhadhiddenhisboat，athingquiteworthdoing，asistillbelieve.butasiwascertainishouldnotbeallowedtoleavetheenclosure，myonlyplanwastotakefrenchleaveandslipoutwhennobodywaswatching，andthatwassobadawayofdoingitasmadethethingitselfwrong.butiwasonlyaboy，andihadmademymindup.

well，asthingsatlastfellout，ifoundanadmirableopportunity.thesquireandgraywerebusyhelpingthecaptainwithhisbandages，thecoastwasclear，imadeaboltforitoverthestockadeandintothethickestofthetrees，andbeforemyabsencewasobservediwasoutofcryofmypanions.

thiswasmysecondfolly，farworsethanthefirst，asileftbuttwosoundmentoguardthehouse;butlikethefirst，itwasahelptowardssavingallofus.

itookmywaystraightfortheeastcoastoftheisland，foriwasdeterminedtogodowntheseasideofthespittoavoidallchanceofobservationfromtheanchorage.itwasalreadylateintheafternoon，althoughstillwarmandsunny.asicontinuedtothreadthetallwoods，icouldhearfromfarbeforemenotonlythecontinuoust混derofthesurf，butacertaintossingoffoliageandgrindingofboughswhichshowedmetheseabreezehadsetinhigherthanusual.sooncooldraughtsofairbegantoreachme，andafewstepsfarthericameforthintotheopenbordersofthegrove，andsawthesealyingb露eandsunnytothehorizonandthesurftumblingandtossingitsfoamalongthebeach.

ihaveneverseentheseaquietroundtreasureisland.thesunmightblazeoverhead，theairbewithoutabreath，thesurfacesothandb露e，butstillthesegreatrollerswouldberunningalongalltheexternalcoast，t混deringandt混deringbydayandnight;andiscarcebelievethereisonespotintheislandwhereamanwouldbeoutofearshotoftheirnoise.

iwalkedalongbesidethesurfwithgreatenjoyment，till，thinkingiwasnowgotfarenoughtothesouth，itookthecoverofsomethickbushesandcreptwaril玉ptotheridgeofthespit.

behindmewasthesea，infronttheanchorage.theseabreeze，asthoughithadthesoonerblownitselfoutbyitsunusualviolence，wasalreadyatanend;eededbylight，variableairsfromthesouthandsouth-east，reatbanksoffog;andtheanchorage，underleeofskeletonisland，laystillandleadenaswhenfirstweenteredit.thhispaniola，inthatunbrokenmirror，wasexactlyportrayedfromthetrucktothewaterline，thejollyrogerhangingfromherpeak.

alongsidelayoneofthegigs，silverinthesternsheets—himicouldalwaysrecognize—whileacoupleofmenwereleaningoverthesternbulwarks，oneofthemwitharedcap—theveryroguethatihadseensomehoursbeforestride-legsuponthepalisade.apparentlytheyweretalkingandlaughing，thoughatthatdistance—upwardsofamile—icould，ofcourse，hearnowordofwhatwassaid.allatoncetherebeganthesthorrid，unearthlyscreaming，whichatfirststartledmebadly，thoughihadsoonrememberedthevoiceofcaptainflintandeventhoughticouldmakeoutthebirdbyherbrightp露mageasshesatpercheduponhermasterswrist.

soonafter，thejolly-boatshovedoffandpulledforshore，andthemanwiththeredcapandhisradewentbelowbythecabinpanion.

justaboutthesametime，thesunhadgonedownbehindthespy-glass，andasthefogwascollecrapidly，itbegantogrowdarkinearnest.isawimustlosenotimeifiweretofindtheboatthatevening.

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