I'd barely climbed onto the bowsprit when a sail filled up with another breeze and flapped sharply, sounding like a gunshot.
The sail almost hit me, nearly tossing me into the sea.
Quickly, I crawled along the bowsprit and tumbled headfirst onto the deck.
From where I landed, I couldn't see anyone, but the deck, not cleaned since the mutiny, was dirty with footprints.
A broken bottle tumbled to and fro.
Suddenly the Hispaniola went right into the wind, and the whole ship shuddered with a horrible sound.
At the same moment, the mainsail boom groaned and swung aside, and that's when I saw the two pirates.
Red Cap was stiff and flat on his back with his arms stretched out, like a cross.
Nearby, Israel Hands was leaning against a barrel, his chin on his chest, his hands lying open before him on the deck, and his face deathly white.
The ship kept rising and falling, turning this way and that, as the boom swung to and fro and the mast groaned loudly under the strain.
Blasts of sea spray occasionally drenched the deck, and the men's bodies swayed with every movement of the ship.
The deck was stained with splashes of dark blood.
"Have they killed each other?" I wondered.
Suddenly Israel Hands turned and moaned with pain.
His jaw was hanging open, and I felt pity for him—until I remembered he had planned to kill us.
"Are you all right, Mr. Hands?" I asked, keeping my distance.
"Get me some brandy," he croaked as he rolled his eyes to try and focus them.
"He may be dying," I thought. I raced down the stairs to the captain's cabin.
"What have they done?" I gasped as I looked at the mess in the cabin.
Anything that had been locked was broken open in the pirates' search for the map.
Mud covered the floor where they'd sat drinking.
The white walls were smeared with dirty handprints, and dozens of empty bottles clinked together in the corners.
The doctor's medical book lay open on the table, half of the pages torn out.
"They probably used the pages to light their pipes," I thought in disgust as the lamp still cast its smoky glow.
I went into the galley. The barrels were gone, and empty bottles were lying everywhere.
"They were drunk the whole time!" I said.
I found a bottle with some brandy left, and discovered some biscuits, pickled fruits, cheese, and a bunch of raisins.
I came on deck, went to the water supply , and had a good deep drink.
Then I gave Israel Hands the brandy bottle.
The pirate gulped all he could. "Aye, by thunder," he said, "I needed some brandy!"
I sat down and ate.
"Are you hurt much?" I asked.
"If that doctor was aboard," growled the pirate, "I'd be all right. But I have no luck."
He pointed to Red Cap. "That swab is good and dead."
Then he looked at me. "And where did you come from?"
"I'm taking possession of this ship, Mr. Hands," I said.
"Please regard me as your captain until further notice."
He looked at me angrily but said nothing.
"I don't like your flag, Mr. Hands," I told him.
I ran and pulled down their black flag and threw it overboard.
"God save the king!" I yelled. "Captain Silver has lost!"
The pirate watched me slyly, his chin on his chest.
"I reckon, Captain Hawkins," he said at last, "you'll want to get ashore now. Let's talk."
"Why, yes," I replied, "with all my heart, Mr. Hands. Talk on."
I sat down again and continued eating.
"I and this man," he began, nodding at the corpse, "we put the sails up to get her back to the island.
Well, he's dead now, so who will sail this ship? You can't; you're just a boy.
Now, if you give me food and drink and an old handkerchief to tie up my wound , I'll tell you how to sail her. That's fair, I think."
"I won't go back to Captain Kidd's anchorage," I said.
"I'm going to North Inlet and we'll beach the ship there."
"I know I lost, and you have the better of me," admitted the pirate.
"North Inlet? Fine! I'd help you sail up to Execution Dock if you asked me, by thunder!"
"Good!" I said confidently. "We have a deal then."
In a couple of minutes, I had the Hispaniola sailing easily along the coast of Treasure Island.
"If we sail around the northern point before noon," I thought, "we should reach North Inlet before high tide.
We can beach her safely when the tide permits us to land."
I tied the wheel so the ship wouldn't go off course and went below to my own sea chest.
I found my mother's soft silk handkerchief and helped Israel Hands bind up the bleeding stab wound in his thigh.
After he'd eaten a little and drunk more brandy, he sat up and looked like a new man.
The breeze served us well, and we watched the coast of the island passing by swiftly.
"It's a beautiful day, Mr. Hands," I said cheerfully.
I had plenty of water and good things to eat, and I felt better now about leaving my friends.
My great conquest, in my mind, made up for my desertion.
I would have felt on top of the world except for my companion's scornful eyes and his odd smile, full of treachery.
Israel Hands craftily watched, and watched, and watched me at my work.