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PART FOUR `
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The Stockade `
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16 `
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Narrative Continued by the Doctor: How the `
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Ship Was Abandoned `
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IT was about half past one--three bells in the sea `
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phrase--that the two boats went ashore from the `
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HISPANIOLA. The captain, the squire, and I were `
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talking matters over in the cabin. Had there been a `
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breath of wind, we should have fallen on the six `
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mutineers who were left aboard with us, slipped our `
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cable, and away to sea. But the wind was wanting; and `
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to complete our helplessness, down came Hunter with the `
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news that Jim Hawkins had slipped into a boat and was `
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gone ashore with the rest. `
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It never occurred to us to doubt Jim Hawkins, but we `
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were alarmed for his safety. With the men in the `
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temper they were in, it seemed an even chance if we `
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should see the lad again. We ran on deck. The pitch `
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was bubbling in the seams; the nasty stench of the `
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place turned me sick; if ever a man smelt fever and `
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dysentery, it was in that abominable anchorage. The `
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six scoundrels were sitting grumbling under a sail in `
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the forecastle; ashore we could see the gigs made fast `
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and a man sitting in each, hard by where the river runs `
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in. One of them was whistling "Lillibullero." `
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Waiting was a strain, and it was decided that Hunter `
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and I should go ashore with the jolly-boat in quest `
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of information. `
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The gigs had leaned to their right, but Hunter and I `
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pulled straight in, in the direction of the stockade `
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upon the chart. The two who were left guarding their `
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boats seemed in a bustle at our appearance; "Lillibullero" `
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stopped off, and I could see the pair discussing what `
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they ought to do. Had they gone and told Silver, all `
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might have turned out differently; but they had their `
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orders, I suppose, and decided to sit quietly where `
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they were and hark back again to "Lillibullero." `
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There was a slight bend in the coast, and I steered so `
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as to put it between us; even before we landed we had `
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thus lost sight of the gigs. I jumped out and came as `
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near running as I durst, with a big silk handkerchief `
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under my hat for coolness' sake and a brace of pistols `
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ready primed for safety. `
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I had not gone a hundred yards when I reached the stockade. `
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This was how it was: a spring of clear water rose `
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almost at the top of a knoll. Well, on the knoll, and `
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enclosing the spring, they had clapped a stout log- `
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house fit to hold two score of people on a pinch and `
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loopholed for musketry on either side. All round this `
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they had cleared a wide space, and then the thing was `
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completed by a paling six feet high, without door or `
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opening, too strong to pull down without time and `
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labour and too open to shelter the besiegers. The `
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people in the log-house had them in every way; they `
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stood quiet in shelter and shot the others like `
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partridges. All they wanted was a good watch and food; `
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for, short of a complete surprise, they might have held `
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the place against a regiment. `
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What particularly took my fancy was the spring. For `
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though we had a good enough place of it in the cabin of `
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the HISPANIOLA, with plenty of arms and ammunition, `
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and things to eat, and excellent wines, there had been `
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one thing overlooked--we had no water. I was thinking `
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this over when there came ringing over the island the `
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cry of a man at the point of death. I was not new to `
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violent death--I have served his Royal Highness the `
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Duke of Cumberland, and got a wound myself at Fontenoy-- `
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but I know my pulse went dot and carry one. "Jim `
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Hawkins is gone," was my first thought. `
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It is something to have been an old soldier, but more `
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still to have been a doctor. There is no time to `
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dilly-dally in our work. And so now I made up my mind `
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instantly, and with no time lost returned to the shore `
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and jumped on board the jolly-boat. `
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By good fortune Hunter pulled a good oar. We made the `
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water fly, and the boat was soon alongside and I aboard `
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the schooner. `
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I found them all shaken, as was natural. The squire `
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was sitting down, as white as a sheet, thinking of the `
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harm he had led us to, the good soul! And one of the `
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six forecastle hands was little better. `
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"There's a man," says Captain Smollett, nodding towards `
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him, "new to this work. He came nigh-hand fainting, `
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doctor, when he heard the cry. Another touch of the `
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rudder and that man would join us." `
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I told my plan to the captain, and between us we `
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settled on the details of its accomplishment. `
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We put old Redruth in the gallery between the cabin and `
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the forecastle, with three or four loaded muskets and a `
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mattress for protection. Hunter brought the boat round `
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under the stern-port, and Joyce and I set to work `
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loading her with powder tins, muskets, bags of `
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biscuits, kegs of pork, a cask of cognac, and my `
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invaluable medicine chest. `
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In the meantime, the squire and the captain stayed on `
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deck, and the latter hailed the coxswain, who was the `
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principal man aboard. `
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"Mr. Hands," he said, "here are two of us with a brace `
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of pistols each. If any one of you six make a signal `
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of any description, that man's dead." `
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They were a good deal taken aback, and after a little `
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consultation one and all tumbled down the fore `
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companion, thinking no doubt to take us on the rear. `
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But when they saw Redruth waiting for them in the `
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sparred galley, they went about ship at once, and a `
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head popped out again on deck. `
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"Down, dog!" cries the captain. `
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And the head popped back again; and we heard no more, `
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for the time, of these six very faint-hearted seamen. `
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By this time, tumbling things in as they came, we had `
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the jolly-boat loaded as much as we dared. Joyce and I `
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got out through the stern-port, and we made for shore `
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again as fast as oars could take us. `
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This second trip fairly aroused the watchers along `
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shore. "Lillibullero" was dropped again; and just `
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before we lost sight of them behind the little point, `
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one of them whipped ashore and disappeared. I had half `
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a mind to change my plan and destroy their boats, but I `
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feared that Silver and the others might be close at hand, `
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and all might very well be lost by trying for too much. `
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We had soon touched land in the same place as before and `
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set to provision the block house. All three made the `
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first journey, heavily laden, and tossed our stores over `
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the palisade. Then, leaving Joyce to guard them--one man, `
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to be sure, but with half a dozen muskets--Hunter and I `
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returned to the jolly-boat and loaded ourselves once more. `
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So we proceeded without pausing to take breath, till the `
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whole cargo was bestowed, when the two servants took up `
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their position in the block house, and I, with all my power, `
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sculled back to the HISPANIOLA. `
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That we should have risked a second boat load seems `
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more daring than it really was. They had the advantage `
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of numbers, of course, but we had the advantage of `
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arms. Not one of the men ashore had a musket, and `
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before they could get within range for pistol shooting, `
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we flattered ourselves we should be able to give a good `
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account of a half-dozen at least. `
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The squire was waiting for me at the stern window, all `
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his faintness gone from him. He caught the painter and `
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made it fast, and we fell to loading the boat for our `
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very lives. Pork, powder, and biscuit was the cargo, `
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with only a musket and a cutlass apiece for the squire `
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and me and Redruth and the captain. The rest of the `
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arms and powder we dropped overboard in two fathoms and a `
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half of water, so that we could see the bright steel shining `
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far below us in the sun, on the clean, sandy bottom. `
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By this time the tide was beginning to ebb, and the `
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ship was swinging round to her anchor. Voices were `
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heard faintly halloaing in the direction of the two `
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gigs; and though this reassured us for Joyce and `
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Hunter, who were well to the eastward, it warned our `
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party to be off. `
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Redruth retreated from his place in the gallery and `
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dropped into the boat, which we then brought round to `
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the ship's counter, to be handier for Captain Smollett. `
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"Now, men," said he, "do you hear me?" `
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There was no answer from the forecastle. `
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"It's to you, Abraham Gray--it's to you I am speaking." `
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Still no reply. `
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"Gray," resumed Mr. Smollett, a little louder, "I am `
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leaving this ship, and I order you to follow your `
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captain. I know you are a good man at bottom, and I `
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dare say not one of the lot of you's as bad as he makes `
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