The appearance of the island when I came on deck next morning wasaltogether changed. Although the breeze had now utterly ceased, we hadmade a great deal of way during the night and were now lying becalmedabout half a mile to the southeast of the low eastern coast.Gray-colored woods covered a large part of the surface. This even tintwas indeed broken up by streaks of yellow sand-break in the lower landsand by many tall trees of the pine family, out-topping the others--somesingly, some in clumps; but the general coloring was uniform and sad.The hills ran up clear above the vegetation in spires of naked rock. Allwere strangely shaped, and the Spy-glass, which was by three or fourhundred feet the tallest on the island, was likewise the strangest inconfiguration, running up sheer from almost every side and then suddenlycut off at the top like a pedestal to put a statue on.

The _Hispaniola_ was rolling scuppers under in the ocean swell. Thebooms were tearing at the blocks, the rudder was banging to and fro, andthe whole ship creaking, groaning, and jumping like a manufactory. I hadto cling tight to the backstay and the world turned giddily before myeyes; for though I was a good enough sailor when there was way on, thisstanding still and being rolled about like a bottle was a thing I neverlearned to stand without a qualm or so, above all in the morning, on anempty stomach.

Perhaps it was this--perhaps it was the look of the island, with itsgray, melancholy woods, and wild stone spires, and the surf that wecould both see and hear foaming and thundering on the steep beach--atleast, although the sun shone bright and hot, and the shore birds werefishing and crying all around us, and you would have thought anyonewould have been glad to get to land after being so long at sea, my heartsank, as the saying is, into my boots, and from that first look onward Ihated the very thought of Treasure Island.

We had a dreary morning's work before us, for there was no sign of anywind, and the boats had to be got out and manned, and the ship warpedthree or four miles round the corner of the island and up the narrowpassage to the haven behind Skeleton Island. I volunteered for one ofthe boats, where I had, of course, no business. The heat was swelteringand the men grumbled fiercely over their work. Anderson was in commandof my boat, and instead of keeping the crew in order he grumbled as loudas the worst.

I thought this was a very bad sign, for, up to that day, the men hadgone briskly and willingly about their business, but the very sight ofthe island had relaxed the cords of discipline.

All the way in, Long John stood by the steersman and conned the ship. Heknew the passage like the palm of his hand; and though the man in thechains got everywhere more water than was down in the chart, John neverhesitated once.

"There's a strong scour with the ebb," he said, "and this here passagehas been dug out, in a manner of speaking, with a spade."

We brought up just where the anchor was in the chart, about a third of amile from each shore, the mainland on one side and Skeleton Island onthe other. The bottom was clean sand. The plunge of our anchor sent upclouds of birds wheeling and crying over the woods, but in less than aminute they were down again, and all was once more silent.

The place was entirely landlocked, buried in woods, the trees comingright down to high-water mark, the shores mostly flat, and the hill-topsstanding round at a distance in a sort of amphitheater, one here, onethere. Two little rivers, or rather two swamps, emptied out into thispond, as you might call it and the foliage round that part of the shorehad a kind of poisonous brightness. From the ship we could see nothingof the house or stockade, for they were quite buried among trees; and ifit had not been for the chart on the companion, we might have been thefirst that had ever anchored there since the islands arose out of theseas.

There was not a breath of air moving, nor a sound but that of the surfbooming half a mile away along the beaches and against the rocksoutside. A peculiar stagnant smell hung over the anchorage--a smell ofsodden leaves and rotting tree trunks. I observed the doctor sniffingand sniffing, like someone tasting a bad egg.

If the conduct of the men had been alarming in the boat, it became trulythreatening when they had come aboard. They lay about the deck,growling together in talk. The slightest order was received with a blacklook, and grudgingly and carelessly obeyed. Even the honest hands musthave caught the infection, for there was not one man aboard to mendanother. Mutiny, it was plain, hung over us like a thundercloud.

And it was not only we of the cabin party who perceived the danger. LongJohn was hard at work going from group to group, spending himself ingood advice, and as for example no man could have shown a better. Hefairly outstripped himself in willingness and civility; he was allsmiles to everyone. If an order were given, John would be on his crutchin an instant, with the cheeriest "Ay, ay, sir!" in the world; and whenthere was nothing else to do, he kept up one song after another, as ifto conceal the discontent of the rest.

Of all the gloomy features of that gloomy afternoon, this obviousanxiety on the part of Long John appeared the worst.

We held a council in the cabin.

"Sir," said the captain, "if I risk another order, the whole ship'llcome about our ears by the run. You see, sir, here it is. I get a roughanswer, do I not? Well, if I speak back, pikes will be going in twoshakes; if I don't, Silver will see there's something under that, andthe game's up. Now, we've only one man to rely on."

"And who is that?" asked the squire.

"Silver, sir," returned the captain; "he's as anxious as you and I tosmother things up. This is a tiff; he'd soon talk 'em out of it if hehad the chance, and what I propose to do is to give him the chance.Let's allow the men an afternoon ashore. If they all go, why, we'llfight the ship. If they none of them go, well, then, we hold the cabin,and God defend the right. If some go, you mark my words, sir, Silver'llbring 'em aboard again as mild as lambs."

It was so decided; loaded pistols were served out to all the sure men.Hunter, Joyce, and Redruth were taken into our confidence, and receivedthe news with less surprise and a better spirit than we had looked for,and then the captain went on deck and addressed the crew.

"My lads," said he, "we've had a hot day, and are all tired and out ofsorts. A turn ashore'll hurt nobody; the boats are still in the water;you can take the gigs, and as many as please can go ashore for theafternoon. I'll fire a gun half an hour before sundown."

I believe the silly fellows must have thought they would break theirshins over treasure as soon as they were landed; for they all came outof their sulks in a moment, and gave a cheer that started the echo in afar-away hill, and sent the birds once more flying and squalling roundthe anchorage.

The captain was too bright to be in the way. He whipped out of sight ina moment, leaving Silver to arrange the party, and I fancy it was aswell he did so. Had he been on deck he could no longer so much as havepretended not to understand the situation. It was as plain as day.Silver was the captain, and a mighty rebellious crew he had of it. Thehonest hands--and I was soon to see it proved that there were such onboard--must have been very stupid fellows. Or, rather, I suppose thetruth was this, that all hands were disaffected by the example of theringleaders--only some more, some less; and a few, being good fellows inthe main, could neither be led nor driven any farther. It is one thingto be idle and skulk, and quite another to take a ship and murder anumber of innocent men.

At last, however, the party was made up. Six fellows were to stay onboard, and the remaining thirteen, including Silver, began to embark.

Then it was that there came into my head the first of the mad notionsthat contributed so much to save our lives. If six men were left bySilver, it was plain our party could not take and fight the ship; andsince only six were left, it was equally plain that the cabin party hadno present need of my assistance. It occurred to me at once to goashore. In a jiffy I had slipped over the side and curled up in theforesheets of the nearest boat, and almost at the same moment she shovedoff.

No one took notice of me, only the bow oar saying, "Is that you, Jim?Keep your head down." But Silver, from the other boat, looked sharplyover and called out to know if that were me; and from that moment Ibegan to regret what I had done.

The crews raced for the beach, but the boat I was in, having some start,and being at once the lighter and the better manned, shot far ahead ofher consort, and the bow had struck among the shore-side trees, and Ihad caught a branch and swung myself out, and plunged into the nearestthicket, while Silver and the rest were still a hundred yards behind.

"Jim, Jim!" I heard him shouting.

But you may suppose I paid no heed; jumping, ducking, and breakingthrough, I ran straight before my nose, till I could run no longer.