I woke up when it was day. I was at the south part of Treasure Island. The sun was up, but I could not see it. The big mountain was in the way. On this side, the mountain had very high cliffs.
I saw the shore near me. The cliffs were forty or fifty feet high. There were many big rocks in the water. I wanted to use my paddle and go to the land.
But I quickly changed my mind. The waves hit the rocks very hard. The water went high into the air. If I went near the rocks, I would die. I could not climb the high cliffs.
I saw many big, slimy animals on the rocks. They were sea lions (large animals that live in the sea and make a barking sound). There were many of them. They made a loud noise like dogs.
I did not know these animals were safe. I was afraid of them. I did not like this part of the shore. I preferred to stay at sea. I did not want to face the dangerous animals.
I saw a better place to the north. There was a long beach with yellow sand. North of the sand, there were many green trees. This was the Cape of the Woods.
I remembered the words of Long John Silver. He said the sea moves north on this side of the island. The water was already carrying my boat that way. I decided to save my strength. I wanted to land at the Cape of the Woods.
The waves were very large, but they were smooth. A gentle wind blew from the south. The waves and the water moved in the same direction. This was good for my small boat.
My boat was very light. It moved easily on the waves. I lay at the bottom of the boat. I looked over the edge. I saw big blue waves above me, but the boat stayed safe. It was like a bird on the water.
Soon, I felt brave. I sat up and tried to use the paddle. But the boat changed when I moved. It stopped dancing on the waves. It went down a steep wave and water came inside.
I was wet and very afraid. I lay down in the bottom of the boat again. The boat became smooth and safe again. I could not change the direction of the boat. I was worried about reaching the land.
I tried to stay calm. I used my hat to take the water out of the boat. Then I looked at the waves. They were like hills and valleys on land.
The boat stayed in the low parts of the water. It avoided the tall, steep parts of the waves. I stayed on my elbows. Every few minutes, I used the paddle gently. I tried to turn the boat toward the shore.
It was very slow work. I was very tired. But I moved closer to the land. I was near the Cape of the Woods. I could see the green trees in the wind.
I was very thirsty. The sun was hot and the sea water was salty. My throat burned and my head hurt. I wanted to reach the trees very much. Then I saw something that surprised me.
The Hispaniola was right in front of me. I thought the pirates would catch me. I was so thirsty that I did not care. I just stared at the ship.
The ship had its white sails up. They were bright like silver in the sun. At first, the ship moved to the north-west. I thought the men were going back to the anchor.
Then the ship moved to the west. I thought the pirates saw me. But then the ship stopped. The sails moved in the wind, but the ship did not move.
The men on the ship were very clumsy. I thought they were still drunk. Captain Smollett would be angry with them. The ship moved a little, then it stopped again.
The ship went north, then south, then east. It moved in circles. No one was steering the ship. I thought the men were dead or very drunk. I wanted to get on the ship and help the captain.
The water carried my boat and the ship to the south. The ship moved slowly. If I paddled, I could reach it. I wanted to find the water on the ship. I was very thirsty.
I stood up. A wave hit me with water, but I did not stop. I paddled with all my strength toward the Hispaniola. I learned how to move the boat through the waves. Only a little water hit my face.
I was moving fast now. I looked at the ship. I saw the tiller (the handle used to turn the ship’s rudder). It was moving back and forth. No one was on the deck of the ship.
The ship was almost standing still. It moved a little, then stopped. This was bad for me. The ship was still moving away with the water. I had to paddle harder.
Then the wind stopped for a few seconds. The ship turned slowly in the water. I saw the back of the ship. The cabin window was still open. The lamp was still burning inside.
I paddled very fast. I was almost at the ship. Then the wind blew again. The ship moved fast like a bird. I felt very sad for a moment.
Then the ship turned again. Now the side of the ship was in front of me. The ship looked very tall. I could see the white water under the front of the ship.
I did not have much time. I was on top of a big wave. The ship came toward me. The bowsprit (the long pole at the front of a ship) was over my head.
I stood up and jumped. My boat went under the water. I grabbed a rope on the long pole. I heard the ship hit my small boat. Now I was on the Hispaniola, and my boat was gone.
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