Wounded as he was , it was wonderful how fast he could move , his grizzled hair tumbling over his face , and his face itself as red as a red ensign with his haste and fury . I had no time to try my other pistol , nor indeed much inclination , for I was sure it would be useless . One thing I saw plainly : I must not simply retreat before him , or he would speedily hold me boxed into the bows , as a moment since he had so nearly boxed me in the stern . Once so caught , and nine or ten inches of the blood-stained dirk would be my last experience on this side of eternity . I placed my palms against the main-mast , which was of a goodish bigness , and waited , every nerve upon the stretch . Seeing that I meant to dodge , he also paused ; and a moment or two passed in feints on his part and corresponding movements upon mine . It was such a game as I had often played at home about the rocks of Black Hill Cove , but never before , you may be sure , with such a wildly beating heart as now . Still , as I say , it was a boy 's game , and I thought I could hold my own at it against an elderly seaman with a wounded thigh . Indeed my courage had begun to rise so high that I allowed myself a few darting thoughts on what would be the end of the affair , and while I saw certainly that I could spin it out for long , I saw no hope of any ultimate escape . Well , while things stood thus , suddenly the HISPANIOLA struck , staggered , ground for an instant in the sand , and then , swift as a blow , canted over to the port side till the deck stood at an angle of forty-five degrees and about a puncheon of water splashed into the scupper holes and lay , in a pool , between the deck and bulwark . We were both of us capsized in a second , and both of us rolled , almost together , into the scuppers , the dead red-cap , with his arms still spread out , tumbling stiffly after us . So near were we , indeed , that my head came against the coxswain 's foot with a crack that made my teeth rattle . Blow and all , I was the first afoot again , for Hands had got involved with the dead body . The sudden canting of the ship had made the deck no place for running on ; I had to find some new way of escape , and that upon the instant , for my foe was almost touching me . Quick as thought , I sprang into the mizzen shrouds , rattled up hand over hand , and did not draw a breath till I was seated on the cross-trees . I had been saved by being prompt ; the dirk had struck not half a foot below me as I pursued my upward flight ; and there stood Israel Hands with his mouth open and his face upturned to mine , a perfect statue of surprise and disappointment . Now that I had a moment to myself , I lost no time in changing the priming of my pistol , and then , having one ready for service , and to make assurance doubly sure , I proceeded to draw the load of the other and recharge it afresh from the beginning . My new employment struck Hands all of a heap ; he began to see the dice going against him , and after an obvious hesitation , he also hauled himself heavily into the shrouds , and with the dirk in his teeth , began slowly and painfully to mount . It cost him no end of time and groans to haul his wounded leg behind him , and I had quietly finished my arrangements before he was much more than a third of the way up . Then , with a pistol in either hand , I addressed him .
`` One more step , Mr. XXXXX , '' said I , `` and I 'll blow your brains out !
Cove HISPANIOLA Hands escape first puncheon red-cap scupper second shrouds