I Strike the Jolly Roger

           Ihadscarcegainedapositiononthebowspritwhentheflyingjibflappedandfilledupontheothertack,withareportlikeagun.Theschoonertrembledtoherkeelunderthereverse,butnextmoment,theothersailsstilldrawing,thejibflappedbackagainandhungidle.

           Thishadnearlytossedmeoffintothesea;andnowIlostnotime,crawledbackalongthebowsprit,andtumbledheadforemostonthedeck.

           Iwasontheleesideoftheforecastle,andthemain-sail,whichwasstilldrawing,concealedfrommeacertainportionoftheafter-deck.Notasoulwastobeseen.Theplanks,whichhadnotbeenswabbedsincethemutiny,boretheprintofmanyfeet,andanemptybottle,brokenbytheneck,tumbledtoandfrolikealivethinginthescuppers.

           SuddenlytheHispaniolacamerightintothewind.Thejibsbehindmecrackedaloud,therudderslammedto,thewholeshipgaveasickeningheaveandshudder,andatthesamemomentthemain-boomswunginboard,thesheetgroaningintheblocks,andshowedmetheleeafter-deck.

           Therewerethetwowatchmen,sureenough:red-caponhisback,asstiffasahandspike,withhisarmsstretchedoutlikethoseofacrucifixandhisteethshowingthroughhisopenlips;IsraelHandsproppedagainstthebulwarks,hischinonhischest,hishandslyingopenbeforehimonthedeck,hisfaceaswhite,underitstan,asatallowcandle.

           Forawhiletheshipkeptbuckingandsidlinglikeavicioushorse,thesailsfilling,nowononetack,nowonanother,andtheboomswingingtoandfrotillthemastgroanedaloudunderthestrain.