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CHAPTER SEVEN

My Sea Adventure

The pirates didn’t return. While the squire and I cooked dinner, the doctor helped the captain.

‘Your wound isn’t dangerous,’ he told him. ‘But you must rest.’

After dinner the doctor put on his hat and took his pistols. He also took a cutlass and a map.

And he left the stockade and went into the woods.

‘What’s he doing?’ Gray asked me.

‘I think he’s going to find Ben Gunn.’

‘He’s crazy!’ laughed Gray.

Then I also did something crazy! It was very hot in the stockade now. There was a lot of blood; there were dead men. I began to feel bad. I wanted to leave and go into the woods, like the doctor.

So I put a lot of biscuits in my pockets and I took two pistols

. Then I ran out of the stockade and into the trees. Nobody saw me.

Yes, I was crazy! But I was only a boy - and you will see that I helped to save all of us! I decided to find Ben Gunn’s boat, so I went towards the white rock. I could see the Hispaniola in the harbour to my right.

I ran quickly to the white rock and I looked for Ben Gunn’s boat. I found it - a very small, light boat. There was also a paddle.

Now I had another crazy idea! I decided to go to the Hispaniola, and cut her anchor rope. Then she would go towards the beach and stop there, so the pirates couldn’t escape.

It was very dark now, but I could just see the pirates’ big fire near the river and the lights of the Hispaniola I took the little boat down to the sea.

The current was strong and it carried me fast towards the Hispaniola. When I was near her, I took the anchor rope in my hand. It was very rigid.

I thought: ‘This rope is dangerous. I mustn’t cut it or it will hit me.’

But I was lucky because the wind changed and the ship moved towards me. Now the rope wasn’t rigid and I could cut it. At that moment I heard voices in the captain’s cabin. It was Israel Hands and a pirate with a red cap. They were drunk. They were also angry, and each man was shouting at the other. When I cut the rope, the Hispaniola began to move round with the current. I paddled towards the window of Captain Smollett’s cabin to watch Hands and his companion. I climbed up a rope and I saw a terrible fight between the two men. They wanted to kill each other.

I went down the rope to the boat. Suddenly the current changed again. The ship and my little boat turned and went towards the island. The pirates’ camp fire was very near!

Then the ship turned again and went away from me very fast. I was now alone in my little boat. The waves were strong and high. I was very wet and cold. I sat there in terror.

Tin going to die soon,’ I thought. But sleep soon came to me and I dreamed of home.

It was day when I woke up. My boat was at the southwest end of the island. I wasn’t far from land but there were cliffs and big rocks. Then I remembered the map.

I knew there was a good place called Cape of the Woods to the north. I also remembered that the map showed a strong north current.

So I decided to stop at the Cape of the Woods.

My little boat went up and down on the big waves and I was very frightened. I paddled slowly.

It was hard work and I became tired and thirsty. Then I saw the trees of the Cape of the Woods.

But the current was very strong and it took me past the Cape. Suddenly I saw the Hispaniola in front of me about half a mile away. ‘Now the pirates will kill me!’ I thought.

But the ship was moving strangely. She sailed and stopped, sailed and stopped; and she turned north, south, east, west.

I watched her with surprise. And then I understood! The two pirates were drunk or asleep.

I had an idea: ‘Perhaps I can go on board and take her to the captain.’ So I paddled towards her, and when I came near to her, I jumped on to the bowsprit above me. My boat went under the water.

But now I was on the Hispaniola!

Was there anybody on board? I heard only the sound of the ship when she turned in the wind. Then I saw the two pirates on deck. Perhaps they were asleep. But when I saw some blood on the deck, I was sure they were dead. Then Israel Hands moved.

‘Brandy!’ he said in a weak voice.

I went down to the captain’s cabin. There were lots of empty bottles. I found one with some brandy, and I took some biscuits and cheese and went up on deck.

I drank a lot of water from the water barrel and then I gave the brandy to Hands. He drank a lot quickly.

I sat down and began to eat. ‘What happened here?’ I asked.

Hands looked at the man with the red cap. ‘Well, that dirty dog is dead,’ he replied. ‘What are you doing here?’

‘This ship is mine now, Mr Hands, so please call me captain.’

He looked at me but he didn’t speak. When I took down the black pirate flag, he said, ‘Shall we talk, Captain Hawkins?

Me and this man here - O’Brien - we wanted to sail the ship back to the harbour, where she was before.

But - well, he’s dead now. Who is going to sail her? You? No, you can’t do it. Give me food and drink, and something for my wound. Then I’ll tell you how to sail her.’

‘We’re not going back to the harbour,’ I answered. Tin sailing the ship to North Inlet and I’m going to take her on to the beach there.’

‘North Inlet? Yes, I’ll help you to sail her there.’

‘All right, tell me what I must do.’

And in a few minutes the Hispaniola began to sail north.

I put a handkerchief on Hand’s leg.

He ate and he drank more brandy. Soon he was better. The ship was dirty and I cleaned it. But the eyes of the pirate watched me, and he smiled sometimes - a strange, bad smile.

We sailed fast along the north of the island towards North Inlet. But we couldn’t take the ship on the beach immediately, so we waited for the tide to change. Then Hands spoke.

‘Cap’n,’ he said with a strange smile. ‘Will you go to the cabin and bring me a bottle of wine? This brandy is too strong.’

I didn’t believe this and I knew that he had a plan; but I also knew that he was stupid.

So I went down below, but I didn’t go to the cabin. I went to a place where I could watch Hands. And I was right!

He went across the deck on his hands and knees. In front of him there was a circle of rope. He took a long knife out of it. The knife had blood on it.

He put it in his pocket. So Israel Hands wanted to kill me!

But I was safe for the moment. ‘He won’t kill me now.’ I thought. ‘He’ll wait, because he can’t bring the ship on to the beach without me.’

I took the wine to Hands and he drank some of it.

‘Jim, cut me some tobacco,’ he said. ‘I haven’t got a knife. Ah, Jim, I’m going to die. Cut me my last piece of tobacco.’

So I cut him a piece. ‘You’re a bad man, Mr Hands,’ I said.

‘Oh? Why, Jim?’

‘Why? You killed this man O’Brien!’

He answered, ‘Because I know that dead men don’t kill - amen! Now, Cap’n Hawkins, you listen to my orders and we’ll sail this ship on to the beach.’

It was difficult, but Hands was a very good pilot. We went into North Inlet where the water was calm.

‘There!’ said Hands. ‘I can see a good beach. We’ll put the ship there.’

At the right moment he said: ‘Now! Beach her now, Jim!’

When the Hispaniola began to go fast towards the beach, I was excited - and I forgot about Israel Hands!

He was behind me. Perhaps I heard something and I suddenly turned my head. Hands was there, with his knife in his right hand. He was going to kill me and I shouted in terror.

When he came towards me, I ran behind the mast and took a pistol from my pocket.

I tried to fire it at Hands but it was wet with sea water. He came towards me. His face was red with anger.

Just then the Hispaniola hit the beach. She fell on her side at an angle of 45 degree and Hands and I fell with her.

I was on my feet very quickly. But now I couldn’t run away because the deck was at a 45 degree angle. Quickly I jumped on to the mast and climbed to the top.

I sat on the cross tree and waited for Hands.

He looked up at me and he didn’t know what to do. I loaded my two pistols. Then, with the knife in his mouth, Hands began to climb the mast.

‘Don’t come up, Mr Hands, or I’ll kill you!’ I said.

He stopped. He tried to think, but he was slow and stupid. Then he took the knife from his mouth and said:

‘Jim, I must kill you, but it’s difficult for me to kill a boy like you.’

And suddenly his right hand moved fast and the next moment the knife went into my shoulder. My two pistols fired; then they fell from my hands. There was a cry and I looked down.

Israel Hands was falling into the water. Then he was on the sand on the bottom of the sea. And he was dead.

The knife was in my shoulder. There was a lot of blood on my coat and shirt. I felt very bad. When I tried to take the knife out, I began to tremble - and then suddenly it came out. I climbed down the mast and went to the cabin. My wound was small and it wasn’t dangerous.

I cleaned it and put a handkerchief round it. Then I went up to the deck. It was evening now and I decided to go to the island.

I wanted to tell Captain Smollett and the others about my adventure. I wanted to tell them that the ship was ours now. So I left the ship and began to walk in the direction of the stockade.

The night was very dark and it was difficult for me to see. Then the moon came up and I found the stockade.

When I saw the red light of a fire outside the cabin, I stopped. This was strange; my companions usually made a fire inside the cabin.

Slowly, quietly, I went towards the cabin on my hands and knees.

At the door I stood up and looked inside. It was dark. I couldn’t see anything. I walked in - and suddenly a strange voice said: ‘Pieces of eight! Pieces of eight! Pieces of eight!’

Captain Flint, Silver’s parrot! I wanted to run away but there was no time.

‘Who’s there?’ shouted Silver.

I turned, I ran away. But I ran into the arms of one of the pirates.