It was broad daylight when I woke. I was tossing on the sea at the southwest end of Treasure Island, below Spyglass Hill, which came down to the water in high cliffs. My first thought was to paddle in and land. But the waves crashed and roared among the fallen rocks, and I would be killed if I went closer. On the flat rocks lay huge, wet animals, like enormous snails, barking so loudly that the rocks echoed. I learned later that they were sea lions and quite harmless. But I would rather starve at sea than land there.
Further north there was a point of land covered with tall green pine trees. I remembered Silver saying that a current runs north along the west coast of the island, and I could see it was already carrying me. So I decided to try to land there.
The waves were big but smooth, and my light boat rode them very well. As I lay in the bottom with just my eyes above the side, a blue hill of water rose above me again and again, but the boat only danced a little and went down the other side as lightly as a bird. Then I sat up to paddle. At once the boat ran down a steep slope of water and drove its nose deep into the next wave. Wet through and terrified, I lay down again, and the boat found its way again.
How could I ever reach land? I was frightened, but I kept my head. First I emptied the water out with my cap. Then I watched the waves. Each wave, I saw, was like a range of hills, with high and low places, and the boat found its own way through the low parts. So I lay still, and in the smooth places I dipped the paddle into the water and pushed the boat a little toward land.
It was slow, tiring work, but I came closer. And it was high time, because I was now terribly thirsty. The sun burned down on me, salt covered my lips, and my throat burned. The green trees were so near! But the current carried me past the point, and then I saw something that changed all my thoughts.
Less than half a mile in front of me was the Hispaniola, under sail. I was sure they would catch me, but I was so thirsty that I hardly cared. And soon I could only stare in surprise. The ship sailed one way, then turned into the wind and stopped, helpless, with her sails shaking. Then she sailed off again, fast, and stopped again. Again and again it happened: north, south, east and west.
“Clumsy fools,” I said. “They must still be drunk.” And I thought how Captain Smollett would make them hurry.
But soon it was clear to me that nobody was steering. Where were the men? Either they were dead drunk, or they had left the ship. Perhaps, if I could get on board, I could take the ship back to her captain. That gave me courage, and so did the thought of the barrel of drinking water on deck.
I sat up. At once a cloud of spray hit me, but this time I did not give up. With all my strength and care I paddled after the ship. Slowly I learned how to guide my little boat among the waves, and I came closer and closer. Still there was nobody on deck. The ship turned slowly until her back was toward me, and I could see the open cabin window and the lamp still burning in the daylight.
I was less than a hundred yards away when the wind came back. Her sails filled, and she was off again like a bird. My first feeling was despair, but my second was joy. She turned, and turned again, and came straight toward me, nearer and nearer, tall and white above my little boat.
Suddenly I understood: she was going to run right over me. I had hardly any time to save myself. As the front of the ship came down over the wave, I jumped to my feet and leaped. With one hand I caught the long pole at the front of the ship, and my foot found a rope. As I hung there, out of breath, I felt a dull blow below me. The ship had sunk my little boat, and there was no way back.