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"

You

see

,

after

we

left

the

boat

an

'

began

to

push

through

the

bushes

,

we

went

straight

for

the

line

of

my

musket

,

as

I

had

expected

.

But

by

some

unlucky

chance

it

did

n't

explode

,

for

I

saw

the

line

torn

away

by

the

men

's

legs

,

and

heard

the

click

o

'

the

lock

;

so

I

fancy

the

priming

had

got

damp

and

did

n't

catch

.

I

was

in

a

great

quandary

now

what

to

do

,

for

I

could

n't

concoct

in

my

mind

,

in

the

hurry

,

any

good

reason

for

firin

'

off

my

piece

.

But

they

say

necessity

's

the

mother

of

invention

;

so

just

as

I

was

giving

it

up

and

clinchin

'

my

teeth

to

bide

the

worst

o

'

t

and

take

what

should

come

,

a

sudden

thought

came

into

my

head

.

I

stepped

out

before

the

rest

,

seemin

'

to

be

awful

anxious

to

be

at

the

savages

,

tripped

my

foot

on

a

fallen

tree

,

plunged

head

foremost

into

a

bush

,

an

'

ov

coorse

my

carbine

exploded

!

Then

came

such

a

screechin

'

from

the

camp

as

I

never

heard

in

all

my

life

.

I

rose

at

once

,

and

was

rushin

'

on

with

the

rest

when

the

captain

called

a

halt

.

"

'

You

did

that

a

purpose

,

you

villain

!

'

he

said

with

a

tremendous

oath

,

and

drawin

'

a

pistol

from

his

belt

,

let

fly

right

into

my

breast

.

I

fell

at

once

,

and

remembered

no

more

till

I

was

startled

and

brought

round

by

the

most

awful

yell

I

ever

heard

in

my

life

--

except

,

maybe

,

the

shrieks

o

'

them

poor

critters

that

were

crushed

to

death

under

yon

big

canoe

.

Jumpin

'

up

,

I

looked

round

,

and

through

the

trees

saw

a

fire

gleamin

'

not

far

off

;

the

light

of

which

showed

me

the

captain

and

men

tied

hand

and

foot

,

each

to

a

post

,

and

the

savages

dancin

'

round

them

like

demons

.

Отключить рекламу

I

had

scarce

looked

for

a

second

when

I

saw

one

o

'

them

go

up

to

the

captain

flourishing

a

knife

,

and

before

I

could

wink

he

plunged

it

into

his

breast

,

while

another

yell

,

like

the

one

that

roused

me

,

rang

upon

my

ear

.

I

did

n't

wait

for

more

,

but

bounding

up

,

went

crashing

through

the

bushes

into

the

woods

.

The

black

fellows

caught

sight

of

me

,

however

,

but

not

in

time

to

prevent

me

jumpin

'

into

the

boat

,

as

you

know

.

"

Bill

seemed

to

be

much

exhausted

after

this

recital

,

and

shuddered

frequently

during

the

narrative

;

so

I

refrained

from

continuing

the

subject

at

that

time

,

and

endeavoured

to

draw

his

mind

to

other

things

.

"

But

now

,

Bill

,

"

said

I

,

"

it

behoves

us

to

think

about

the

future

,

and

what

course

of

action

we

shall

pursue

.

Here

we

are

,

on

the

wide

Pacific

,

in

a

well-appointed

schooner

,

which

is

our

own

--

at

least

,

no

one

has

a

better

claim

to

it

than

we

have

--

and

the

world

lies

before

us

.

Moreover

,

here

comes

a

breeze

,

so

we

must

make

up

our

minds

which

way

to

steer

.

"

"

Ralph

,

boy

,

"

said

my

companion

,

"

it

matters

not

to

me

which

way

we

go

.

I

fear

that

my

time

is

short

now

.

Go

where

you

will

;

I

'm

content

.

"

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"

Well

,

then

,

Bill

,

I

think

we

had

better

steer

to

the

Coral

Island

and

see

what

has

become

of

my

dear

old

comrades

,

Jack

and

Peterkin

.

I

believe

the

island

has

no

name

,

but

the

captain

once

pointed

it

out

to

me

on

the

chart

,

and

I

marked

it

afterwards

;

so

,

as

we

know

pretty

well

our

position

just

now

,

I

think

I

can

steer

to

it

.

Then

,

as

to

working

the

vessel

,

it

is

true

I

can

not

hoist

the

sails

single-handed

,

but

luckily

we

have

enough

of

sail

set

already

;

and

if

it

should

come

on

to

blow

a

squall

,

I

could

at

least

drop

the

peaks

of

the

main

and

fore

sails

,

and

clew

them

up

partially

without

help

,

and

throw

her

head

close

into

the

wind

,

so

as

to

keep

her

all

shaking

till

the

violence

of

the

squall

is

past

.

And

if

we

have

continued

light

breezes

,

I

'll

rig

up

a

complication

of

blocks

and

fix

them

to

the

topsail

halyards

,

so

that

I

shall

be

able

to

hoist

the

sails

without

help

.

'

Tis

true

I

'll

require

half-a-day

to

hoist

them

,

but

we

do

n't

need

to

mind

that

.

Then

I

'll

make

a

sort

of

erection

on

deck

to

screen

you

from

the

sun

,

Bill

;

and

if

you

can

only

manage

to

sit

beside

the

tiller

and

steer

for

two

hours

every

day

,

so

as

to

let

me

get

a

nap

,

I

'll

engage

to

let

you

off

duty

all

the

rest

of

the

twenty-four

hours

.

And

if

you

do

n't

feel

able

for

steering

,

I

'll

lash

the

helm

and

heave-to

while

I

get

you

your

breakfasts

and

dinners

;

and

so

we

'll

manage

famously

,

and

soon

reach

the

Coral

Island

.

"

Bill

smiled

faintly

as

I

ran

on

in

this

strain

.

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