How My Sea Adventure Began

           Therewasnoreturnofthemutineers—notsomuchasanothershotoutofthewoods.Theyhad"gottheirrationsforthatday,"asthecaptainputit,andwehadtheplacetoourselvesandaquiettimetooverhaulthewoundedandgetdinner.SquireandIcookedoutsideinspiteofthedanger,andevenoutsidewecouldhardlytellwhatwewereat,forhorroroftheloudgroansthatreachedusfromthedoctor’spatients.

           Outoftheeightmenwhohadfallenintheaction,onlythreestillbreathed—thatoneofthepirateswhohadbeenshotattheloophole,Hunter,andCaptainSmollett;andofthese,thefirsttwowereasgoodasdead;themutineerindeeddiedunderthedoctor’sknife,andHunter,dowhatwecould,neverrecoveredconsciousnessinthisworld.Helingeredallday,breathingloudlyliketheoldbuccaneerathomeinhisapoplecticfit,butthebonesofhischesthadbeencrushedbytheblowandhisskullfracturedinfalling,andsometimeinthefollowingnight,withoutsignorsound,hewenttohisMaker.

           Asforthecaptain,hiswoundsweregrievousindeed,butnotdangerous.Noorganwasfatallyinjured.Anderson’sball—foritwasJobthatshothimfirst—hadbrokenhisshoulder-bladeandtouchedthelung,notbadly;thesecondhadonlytornanddisplacedsomemusclesinthecalf.Hewassuretorecover,thedoctorsaid,butinthemeantime,andforweekstocome,hemustnotwalknormovehisarm,norsomuchasspeakwhenhecouldhelpit.

           Myownaccidentalcutacrosstheknuckleswasaflea-bite.DoctorLiveseypatcheditupwithplasterandpulledmyearsformeintothebargain.