The coracle (a small, light boat made of wood and animal skins) was a safe boat for a boy. It was light and it stayed on top of the water. But it was very difficult to steer. It did not go straight. It always turned in circles. Ben Gunn said the boat was strange until you knew how to use it.
I did not know how to use it. The boat went in every direction, but it did not go where I wanted. I only reached the ship because of the tide (the regular movement of the sea water). The water carried me down to the ship. The Hispaniola was right in front of me.
First, the ship looked like a big black shape in the dark. Then, I saw the wooden poles and the body of the ship. The water moved faster and faster. Soon, I was next to the ship. I grabbed the hawser (a very thick, strong rope used to tie a ship to its anchor).
The rope was very tight because the water was moving fast. The ship pulled against its anchor. The water made a loud sound against the ship. I had my knife ready. If I cut the rope, the Hispaniola would move away with the water.
But I stopped. A tight rope is dangerous. If I cut a tight rope, it can hit me like a kicking horse. The rope could throw me and my small boat into the water. I had to wait.
Then, the wind changed. A small wind blew against the ship. The Hispaniola moved toward the current. The rope became loose in my hand. I was very happy.
I used my teeth to open my knife. I cut the rope slowly. I cut most of the rope, but I left two small parts. I waited for the wind to blow again before I cut the last parts.
I heard loud voices from the cabin of the ship. I was busy with the rope, so I did not listen at first. Now, I listened carefully. I knew one voice. it was Israel Hands. He was the man who worked the big guns for Captain Flint.
The other man was the sailor in the red cap. Both men were very drunk. They were also very angry. They shouted and said very bad words. I thought they were going to hit each other. But then they were quiet for a short time.
I saw the light from the campfire on the shore. Someone was singing a slow sailor’s song. It was a sad song. I heard the song many times on our voyage. The song was about a ship where only one man stayed alive.
The pirates did not care about the men who died that morning. They were hard men. They were like the cold sea.
Finally, the wind blew again. The ship moved and the rope became loose. I used all my strength and cut the last parts of the rope. The Hispaniola was free.
The wind did not move my small boat, but the water carried me. I hit the front of the Hispaniola. Then the big ship began to turn around and around in the water.
I worked very hard. I did not want the big ship to sink my small boat. I could not push the boat away from the front of the ship. So, I pushed my boat toward the back of the ship.
Suddenly, my hand touched a small rope. This rope was hanging over the side of the ship. I grabbed it immediately. I do not know why I did it. I was just curious. I wanted to look through the cabin window.
I pulled the rope and moved my boat closer. I was in danger of falling, but I stood up. Now I could see into the cabin.
The ship and my small boat were moving fast now. We were near the campfire on the shore. The ship made a loud splashing sound in the water. I wanted to know why the two pirates did not notice the ship was moving.
I looked through the window once. I saw Israel Hands and the other man. They were fighting. They were holding each other’s necks. They were trying to kill each other.
I sat down in my boat quickly. I almost fell into the sea. I could only think about the two angry, red faces under the lamp. I closed my eyes because the night was very dark.
The song on the shore ended. Then, all the pirates began to sing the chorus together. They sang about fifteen men on a dead man’s chest and a bottle of rum.
I thought about the two pirates fighting in the cabin. Then, my small boat moved suddenly. It changed direction and went much faster.
I opened my eyes. There were small waves all around me. The Hispaniola was just a few yards in front of me. The ship was moving toward the south.
I looked behind me and I felt very afraid. I saw the light of the campfire. The water was carrying the big ship and my small boat very fast. We were going through the narrow water toward the open sea.
Suddenly, the ship turned quickly. I heard the pirates on the ship shout. I heard them running on the stairs. Israel Hands and the other man finally stopped fighting. They knew the ship was moving away.
I lay down flat in the bottom of my boat. I prayed to God. I thought my boat would hit big waves at the end of the narrow water. I thought I would die soon. I was too afraid to look.
I stayed there for many hours. The waves moved my boat up and down. The cold water hit me and I was very wet. I waited to die. But I was very tired and I fell asleep. I dreamed of my home and the Admiral Benbow Inn.