“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 of her consort, and the bow had struck among the shore-side trees and I had caught a branch and swung myself out and plunged into the nearest thicket while Silver and the rest were still a hundred yards behind.” Treasure Island | Robert Louis Stevenson
Greetings! Today on the blog we continue our adventures with pirates, but on land! Jim begins his shore adventure and ends with a fearsome battle between sailors and pirates.
Chapter 13-15
The chapter begins with the excitement aboard the ship as both sailors and pirates (still hiding in plain sight) prepare a boarding party on land. Jim decides to head out in a quick boat and finds himself on the island, running fast and far away from Long John’s men–and the dangerous Israel Hands.
Jim explores the island alone and hears a conflict between two of his pursuers. Tom, who once supported Long John, defiantly stands against the pirate unwilling to accept murder as a suitable means. Long John responds by killing him. Jim explores more carefully now knowing the full weight of danger.
As Jim observes, Tom’s body lays “motionless” but Long John “minded him not a whit” and cleaned the blood from his knife. It is here, Jim feels worried about his future on the island.
“But now John put his hand into his pocket, brought out a whistle, and blew upon it several modulated blasts that rang far across the heated air. I could not tell, of course, the meaning of the signal, but it instantly awoke my fears. More men would be coming. I might be discovered. They had already slain two of the honest people; after Tom and Alan, might not I come next?” (Stevenson).
Afterward, he finds a man named Ben Gunn who was marooned some years previously on this very island. Ben, as it turns out, was once a member of the now deceased Captain Flint’ crew–and he knows the location of the treasure!
Chapters 16-21
The following chapters, with a few exceptions, are told from different perspectives via journal entries. To begin, we take on Dr. Livesey’s viewpoint, who fills the reader in on what happened aboard while Jim was gone. The loyal sailors who defied the pirates, found a stockade on their map and transported themselves to that location to make a stand.
Continuing, the Dr. states that they came under fire moving equipment and nearly drown due to the overweight on the ship, losing some of the provisions. However, they make it to the stockade and set up a defense. Afterward, the pirates attack the stockade, but are repelled by Captain Smollett and his men. As such, the defenders further fortify their position.
Here, they suffer at the ends of canon fire: “All through the evening they kept thundering away. Ball after ball flew over or fell short or kicked up the sand in the enclosure, but they had to fire so high that the shot fell dead and buried itself in the soft sand” (Stevenson).
At this point, the story continues to follow Jim’s perspective. Jim leaves behind Ben Gunn and travels to the stockade where he is able to reunite with the loyal sailors, Dr. Livesey, and Captain Smollett. The defenders, though fatigued, are resolved to defend their position.
Later, Long John attempts to negotiate with the Captain, by offering him a chance to surrender and less violence if they simply handed over the map. Captain Smollett rejects Long John’s offer and the pirate leaves with intent on destroying the blockade.
Finally, a second attack on the stockade commences and the battle is ferocious. The defenders hold their ground. However, at this point both sides are fatigued and are suffering from losses. Captain Smollett and his men do not know how much longer they can hold out against the pirates.
The fighting was intense: “I snatched a cutlass from the pile, and someone, at the same time snatching another, gave me a cut across the knuckles which I hardly felt. I dashed out of the door into the clear sunlight. Someone was close behind, I knew not whom. Right in front, the doctor was pursuing his assailant down the hill, and just as my eyes fell upon him, beat down his guard and sent him sprawling on his back with a great slash across the face” (Stevenson).
Analysis
Part three (chapters 13-15) show Jim understanding more about his situation–however dire his situation is in fact. Moreover, it shows Jim’s courage in the face of pirates and violence. Meanwhile, part four (chapters 16-21) illustrates just how desperate the pirates are to have their map. It also shows the resourcefulness of Captain Smollett’s resourceful crew.
Works Cited
Stevenson, Robert Louis. “Treasure Island.” Project Gutenberg, http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/120.
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