We ran quickly through the trees toward the stockade (a strong fence made of wood). The pirates were very close to us. We could hear their feet on the ground. We could hear the branches break as they ran. I knew we had to fight. I checked my gun.
I spoke to Captain Smollett. I told Captain Smollett to give his gun to Squire Trelawney. Squire Trelawney was the best shot in our group. His own gun was wet and useless. They swapped guns. Abraham Gray did not have a weapon. I gave Abraham Gray my cutlass (a short, thick sword with a curved blade). Abraham Gray looked ready to fight. He was a very brave man.
We reached the edge of the woods. We saw the stockade in front of us. At the same time, seven pirates appeared. Job Anderson was their leader. They were surprised to see us. Squire Trelawney, Hunter, Joyce, and I fired our guns at them. One pirate fell down. The other pirates ran back into the trees.
We went to look at the pirate on the ground. He was dead. We began to feel happy about our success. But then, a pirate fired a pistol from the trees. The bullet passed near my ear. Tom Redruth fell to the ground. Squire Trelawney and I fired our guns into the trees. We did not see the pirates, so we probably missed them.
Captain Smollett and Abraham Gray looked at Tom Redruth. I am a doctor, and I saw the truth immediately. Tom Redruth was dying. The pirates stayed in the trees because they were afraid of our guns. We carried Tom Redruth over the fence. We took the poor man into the log-house (a house made of heavy pieces of wood).
Tom Redruth was a very good servant. He was silent and brave during all our troubles. He was much older than the other men. He followed every order and never complained. Now, he was the first of our group to die. Squire Trelawney knelt beside Tom Redruth. Squire Trelawney cried like a child and kissed Tom Redruth’s hand.
"Am I dying, doctor?" Tom Redruth asked me. I told him he was going home. He said he wanted to shoot the pirates first. Squire Trelawney asked Tom Redruth for forgiveness. Tom Redruth said yes. Then he asked us to read a prayer. A short time later, Tom Redruth died quietly.
Captain Smollett took many things out of his pockets. He had a British flag, a Bible, some rope, and a pen. He found a long tree on the ground. Captain Smollett and Hunter used the tree to make a flagpole (a long wooden pole used to show a flag). Captain Smollett climbed onto the roof. He put the British flag high in the air.
Then Captain Smollett went back inside the house. He counted our food and supplies. He looked at Tom Redruth’s body. Captain Smollett put another flag over the dead man. He told Squire Trelawney not to be sad. He said that Tom Redruth died doing his duty.
Captain Smollett talked to me privately. He asked when our friends would come to save us. I told him it would take many months. If we do not return by August, Mr. Blandly will send a ship to find us. Captain Smollett was worried. We lost a lot of food in the sea. We had enough food for only a short time.
Suddenly, we heard a loud noise. The pirates fired the big gun from the ship. The metal ball flew over the house and hit the trees. Captain Smollett laughed. He said the pirates did not have much gunpowder (a powder used to make guns fire). The pirates fired again. This time, the ball hit the sand inside the fence.
Squire Trelawney said the pirates were aiming at the flag. He wanted to take the flag down. Captain Smollett said no. He wanted to show the pirates that we were not afraid. The pirates fired the big gun all evening. Many balls hit the sand. One ball went through the roof, but no one was hurt.
The tide was now very low. The water moved away from the shore. Captain Smollett wanted to get the food from our sunken boat. Abraham Gray and Hunter went to the shore. But the pirates were already there. Long John Silver was in a boat with other pirates. They were taking our food. Now all the pirates had guns.
Captain Smollett wrote in his log-book (a book used to write down the daily events on a ship). He wrote the names of the six men in the house. He wrote that Tom Redruth was dead. He wrote that we had food for only ten days. I sat and worried about Jim Hawkins.
Suddenly, Hunter called to us. He was on guard at the fence. Someone was calling from outside. "Doctor! Squire! Captain!" the voice cried. I ran to the door. I saw Jim Hawkins. He climbed over the fence. Jim Hawkins was safe!