This was our fifth trip to the island. It was very different from the other trips. Our small boat was too full. There were five grown men in the boat. Squire Trelawney, Redruth, and Captain Smollett were very tall and heavy. We also had many bags of meat and bread. The boat was very low in the water. My clothes were soon very wet.
Captain Smollett told us to sit very still. We wanted to keep the boat level. We were afraid to move because the boat was so full. The tide (the movement of the sea water) was very strong. The water moved toward the open sea. It pushed our boat away from the safe landing place. If we followed the water, we would land near the pirates.
I told Captain Smollett that I could not steer the boat to the stockade (the strong fence made of wood). Captain Smollett and Redruth rowed the boat. I asked them to row harder. Captain Smollett said the boat would sink if they rowed too fast. We had to row toward the east to stay in the right place. The current was very strong. Captain Smollett said we must stay away from the pirates' boats.
Abraham Gray sat in the front of the boat. He said the current was becoming weaker. I thanked him. We now treated Abraham Gray like a friend. Suddenly, Captain Smollett spoke. His voice sounded different and worried. He said, "The gun!" I thought he meant the guns at the stockade. I told him the pirates could not move a big gun through the woods.
Captain Smollett told me to look back at the ship. We forgot the long nine (a very large, heavy gun on the ship). The five bad men were busy with the gun. They took the cover off it. I realized something terrible. We left the large metal balls and the gunpowder (a powder used to make guns fire) on the ship. Now the bad men had everything. Abraham Gray said that Israel Hands was a very good gunner.
We steered the boat straight for the shore. We had to move fast, but we had to be gentle. Our boat was a very easy target for the big gun. I saw Israel Hands on the ship. He had a large metal ball for the gun. Captain Smollett asked, "Who is the best shot?" I said that Squire Trelawney was the best.
Captain Smollett asked Squire Trelawney to shoot Israel Hands. Squire Trelawney was very calm. He prepared his gun. Captain Smollett told us to balance the boat. We leaned to one side while Squire Trelawney aimed his gun. The boat stayed steady. No water came inside.
Israel Hands was ready to fire the big gun. Squire Trelawney fired his gun first. Israel Hands moved at the last second, so the bullet missed him. It hit another pirate instead. The pirate fell down. The pirates on the ship shouted. Many other pirates came out of the trees on the island. They got into their boats to catch us.
I saw the pirates' boats coming. Captain Smollett told us to row very hard. He did not care if the boat sank now. We were very close to the shore. We could see a small area of sand under the trees. The pirates in the boats were far away. The only danger was the big gun on the ship.
The pirates on the ship did not help their fallen friend. They only wanted to fire the big gun. Squire Trelawney was ready to shoot again. Then the pirates fired the big gun. Captain Smollett and Redruth rowed hard to move the boat. We heard a very loud noise. We did not know where the large metal ball went. Perhaps it passed over our heads.
The boat began to sink into the water. It sank slowly because the water was not deep. Captain Smollett and I stood up in the water. The water was only three feet deep. The other three men fell into the water completely. They were very wet. We were safe, and we could walk to the shore.
We were safe, but our food was at the bottom of the sea. We lost almost all of our guns too. I held my gun above my head, so it was dry. Captain Smollett also kept his gun over his shoulder. The other three guns were lost in the water. We felt very worried.
We heard the pirates in the woods. They were very near to us. We were afraid the pirates would reach the stockade first. We did not know if Hunter and Joyce were safe at the house. We walked through the water to the shore as fast as we could. We left the boat and the food behind us.