It was half past one in the afternoon. Two boats went to the island from the ship, the Hispaniola (the name of the big ship). Captain Smollett, Squire Trelawney, and I talked in the cabin. We wanted to fight the six bad men on the ship and sail away. But there was no wind. We could not move the ship. Then Hunter came to us with bad news. Jim Hawkins was in a boat with the bad men. Jim Hawkins went to the island.
We were very worried about Jim Hawkins. The men on the island were very angry. We were afraid for the boy. We went up to the deck. It was very hot. The ship smelled bad. I am a doctor, and I knew the smell was dangerous. It was the smell of a fever (a sickness that makes you very hot). The six bad men sat together on the ship. They were unhappy and they talked quietly. We could see two other bad men near the river on the island.
It was difficult to wait for news. Hunter and I decided to go to the island. We used the jolly-boat (a small boat used for transport). We rowed straight to the shore. We looked for the stockade (a strong fence made of wood for protection) on the map. The two men on the shore saw us. They stopped their music and looked at us. They did not move. They stayed near their boats.
I steered our boat around a small hill. Soon, the men on the shore could not see us. I jumped out of the boat. I was very hot, so I put a handkerchief under my hat. I carried two pistols for safety. I walked one hundred yards and found the stockade. It was on a small hill. There was a spring (a place where clean water comes from the ground) there.
On the hill, the men built a log-house (a house made of heavy pieces of wood). It was very strong. Many people could stay inside it. Around the house, there was a palisade (a high fence made of wooden posts). This fence was six feet high. It did not have a door. It was a very good place for a fight. The people inside the house were safe. They could shoot at the enemy from the windows.
I liked the spring very much. Our ship had food and wine, but we had no water. I thought about this. Then I heard a loud cry. It was the sound of a man dying. I was a soldier before I was a doctor. I saw many people die in the army. But my heart beat very fast. I thought, "Jim Hawkins is dead."
I am a doctor, so I must act quickly. I ran back to the shore. I jumped into the jolly-boat. Hunter rowed the boat fast. Soon, we were back at the Hispaniola.
Everyone on the ship was afraid. Squire Trelawney was very white. He felt bad because he brought us to this island. One of the six bad men was also afraid. Captain Smollett looked at the man. Captain Smollett said, "That man is not a killer. He might help us." I told my plan to Captain Smollett. We began to work.
We put Redruth in a small hall on the ship. He had three muskets (long guns). We put a mattress (the soft part of a bed) in front of Redruth to protect him. Hunter brought the jolly-boat to the back of the ship. Joyce and I put many things in the boat. We took gunpowder (a powder used to make guns fire), muskets, and bags of food. We also took meat and my medicine box.
Captain Smollett and Squire Trelawney stayed on the deck. Captain Smollett talked to the bad men on the ship. He told them, "Do not move. If you move, I will shoot you." The six bad men were surprised. They went down into the bottom of the ship. One man tried to come back up. Captain Smollett shouted, "Stay down!" The man went back. We did not hear them again for a short time.
The jolly-boat was very full. Joyce and I rowed to the shore very fast. The men on the island saw us this time. One man ran away to find his friends. I was afraid they would follow us. We reached the shore. We took the food to the log-house.
We threw the boxes over the palisade. Joyce stayed at the house with many muskets. Hunter and I went back to the ship again. We moved all the supplies. We worked very fast. Then the two servants stayed in the house. I rowed back to the Hispaniola one more time.
Squire Trelawney waited for me at the back of the ship. He felt better now. We loaded the boat for the last time. We took food and gunpowder. We only kept one musket for each person. We threw the other guns and powder into the sea. The water was clear. We could see the guns on the sand under the water.
The sea was moving away from the shore now. We heard voices on the island. We knew we must leave the ship quickly. Redruth got into the boat. Then we moved the boat to the side of the ship. Captain Smollett was ready to leave.
"Men, do you hear me?" Captain Smollett called to the bad men. No one answered. "Abraham Gray! I am talking to you!" Still, no one answered. "Gray," Captain Smollett said louder. "I am leaving this ship. I order you to follow your captain. You are a good man. I give you thirty seconds to join me."
Everything was quiet. Then we heard a fight. Abraham Gray ran out of the ship. He had a small cut on his face. He ran to Captain Smollett. "I am with you, sir," Abraham Gray said. Abraham Gray and Captain Smollett jumped into the boat. We rowed away from the ship. We were clear of the ship, but we were not at the stockade yet.