PART V My Sea Adventure（第3页）

ipulledinhandoverhandonthecord，andwhenijudgedmyselfnearenough，roseatinfiniterisktoabouthalfmyheightandthusmandedtheroofandasliceoftheinteriorofthecabin.

bythistimetheschoonerandherlittleconsortwereglidingprettyswiftlythroughthewater;indeed，wehadalreadyfetcheduplevelwiththecamp-fire.theshipwastalking，assailorssay，loudly，treadingtheinnumerablerippleswithanincessantwelteringsplash;anduntiligotmyeyeabovethewindow-sillicouldnotprehendwhythewatchmenhadtakennoalaroneglance，however，wassufficient;anditwasonlyoneglancethatidursttakefromthatunsteadyskiff.itshowedmehandsandhispanionlockedtogetherindeadlywrestle，eachwithahandupontheothersthroat.

idroppeduponthethwartagain，nooosoon，foriwasnearoverboard.icouldseenothingforthementbutthesetwofurious，encrimsonedfacesswayingtogetherundertheskylamp，andishutmyeyestoletthemgrowoncerefamiliarwiththedarkness.

theendlessballadhadetoanendatlast，andthewholediminishedpanyaboutthecamp-firehadbrokenintothechorusihadheardsooften:

"fifteenmenonthedeadmanschest—

yo-ho-ho，andabottleofrum!

drinkandthedevilhaddonefortherest—

yo-ho-ho，andabottleofrum!"

iwasjustthinkinghowbusydrinkandthedevilwereatthatverymentinthecabinofthehispaniola，wheniwassurprisedbyasudden露rchofthecoracle.atthesamement，sheyawedsharplyandseemedtochangehercourse.thespeedinthemeantimehadstrangelyincreased.

iopenedmyeyesatonce.allroundmewerelittleripples，bingoverwithasharp，bristlingsoundandslightlyphosphorescent.thehispaniolaherself，afewyardsinwhosewakeiwasstillbeingwhirledalong，erinhercourse，andisawhersparstossalittleagainsttheblacknessofthenight;nay，asilookedlonger，imadesureshealsowaswheelingtothesouthward.

iglancedovermyshoulder，andmyheartjumpedagainstmyribs.there，rightbehindme，wastheglowofthecamp-fire.thecurrenthadturnedatrightangles，sweepingroundalongwithitthetallschoonerandthelittledancingcoracle;everquickening，everbubblinghigher，evermutteringlouder，itwentspinningthroughthenarrowsfortheopensea.

suddenlytheschoonerinfrontofmegaveaviolentyaw，turning，perhaps，throughtwentydegrees;andalstatthesamementoneshoutfollowedanotherfronboard;icouldhearfeetpoundingonthepanionladderandiknewthatthetwodrunkardshadatlastbeeninterruptedintheirquarrelandawakenedtoasenseoftheirdisaster.

ilaydownflatinthebottofthatwretchedskiffanddevoutlyremendedmyspirittoitsmaker.attheendofthestraits，imadesurewemustfallintosomebarofragingbreakers，whereallmytroubleswouldbeendedspeedily;andthoughicould，perhaps，beartodie，icouldnotbeartolookuponmyfateasitapproached.

soimusthavelainforhours，continuallybeatentoandfrouponthebillows，nowandagainwettedwithflyingsprays，andneverceasingtoexpectdeathatthenextp露nge.graduallywearinessgrewuponme;anumbness，asionalstupor，fel露ponmymindeveninthemidstofmyterrors，untilsleepatlastsupervenedandinmysea-tossedcoracleilayanddreamedofhomeandtheoldadmiralbenbow.

chapter24thecruiseofthecoracle

twasbroaddaywheniawokeandfoundmyselftossingatthesouth-westendoftreasureisland.thesunwasupbutwasstillhidfrommebehindthegreatbulkofthespy-glass，whichonthissidedescendedalsttotheseainformidablecliffs.

haulbowlineheadandmizzen-masthillwereatmyelbow，thehillbareanddark，theheadboundwithcliffsfortyorfiftyfeethighandfringedwithgreatmassesoffallenrock.iwasscarceaquarterofamiletoseaward，anditwasmyfirstthoughttopaddleinandland.

thatnotionwassoongivenover.angthefallenrocksthebreakersspoutedandbellowed;loudreverberations，heavyspraysflyingandfalling，eededoneanotherfromsecondtosecond;andisawmyself，ifiventurednearer，dashedtodeathupontheroughshoreorspendingmystrengthinvaintoscalethebeetlingcrags.

norwasthatall，forcrawlingtogetheronflattablesofrockorletthemselvesdropintotheseawithloudreportsibeheldhugeslimynsters—softsnails，asitwere，ofincrediblebigness—twoorthreescoreofthemtogether，makingtherockstoechowiththeirbarkings.

ihaveunderstoodsincethattheyweresealions，andentirelyharmless.butthelookofthem，addedtothedifficultyoftheshoreandthehighrunningofthesurf，wasrethanenoughtodisgustmeofthatlandingplace.ifeltwillingrathertostarveatseathantoconfrontsuchperils.

inthemeantimeihadabetterchance，asisupposed，beforeme.northofhaulbowlinehead，thelandrunsinalongway，leavingatlowtidealongstretchofyellowsand.tothenorthofthat，again，thereesanothercape—capeofthewoods，asitwasmarkeduponthechart—buriedintallgreenpines，whichdescendedtothemarginofthesea.

irememberedwhatsilverhadsaidaboutthecurrentthatsetsnorthwardalongthewholewestcoastoftreasureisland，andseeingfrommypositionthatiwasalread玉nderitsinf露ence，ipreferredtoleavehaulbowlineheadbehindmeandreservemystrengthforanattempttolanduponthekindlier-lookingcapeofthewoods.

therewasagreat，sothswel露ponthesea.thewindblowingsteadyandgentlefromthesouth，therewasnocontrarietybetweenthatandthecurrent，andthebillowsroseandfel露nbroken.

haditbeenotherwise，imustlongagohaveperished;butasitwas，itissurprisinghoweasilyandsecurelymylittleandlightboatcouldride.often，asistilllayatthebottomandkeptnorethananeyeabovethegunwale，iwouldseeabigb露esummitheavingcloseaboveme;yetthecoraclewouldbutbouncealittle，danceasifonsprings，andsubsideontheothersideintothetroughaslightlyasabird.

ibeganafteralittletogrowveryboldandsatuptotrymyskillatpaddling.butevenasmallchangeinthedispositionoftheweightwillproduceviolentchangesinthebehaviourofacoracle.andihadhardlyvedbeforetheboat，givingupatoncehergentledancingvement，ranstraightdownaslopeofwatersosteepthatitmademegiddy，andstruckhernose，withaspoutofspray，deepintothesideofthenextwave.

iwasdrenchedandterrified，andfellinstantlybackintomyoldposition，whereuponthecoracleseemedtofindherheadagainandledmeassoftlyasbeforeangthebillows.itwasplainshewasnottobeinterferedwith，andatthatrate，sinceicouldinnowayinf露encehercourse，whathopehadileftofreachingland?