I 'll fire a gun half an hour before sundown . '' I believe the silly fellows must have thought they would break their shins over treasure as soon as they were landed , for they all came out of their sulks in a moment and gave a cheer that started the echo in a faraway hill and sent the birds once more flying and squalling round the anchorage . The captain was too bright to be in the way . He whipped out of sight in a moment , leaving Silver to arrange the party , and I fancy it was as well he did so . Had he been on deck , he could no longer so much as have pretended not to understand the situation . It was as plain as day . Silver was the captain , and a mighty rebellious crew he had of it . The honest hands -- and I was soon to see it proved that there were such on board -- must have been very stupid fellows . Or rather , I suppose the truth was this , that all hands were disaffected by the example of the ringleaders -- only some more , some less ; and a few , being good fellows in the main , could neither be led nor driven any further . It is one thing to be idle and skulk and quite another to take a ship and murder a number of innocent men . At last , however , the party was made up . Six fellows were to stay on board , and the remaining thirteen , including Silver , began to embark . Then it was that there came into my head the first of the mad notions that contributed so much to save our lives . If six men were left by Silver , it was plain our party could not take and fight the ship ; and since only six were left , it was equally plain that the cabin party had no present need of my assistance . It occurred to me at once to go ashore . In a jiffy I had slipped over the side and curled up in the fore-sheets of the nearest boat , and almost at the same moment she shoved off . 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 sharply over and called out to know if that were me ; and from that moment I began 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 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 .
`` Jim , XXXXX ! ''
Jim fire first fore-sheets hour left murder oar shins shore-side