You 've little enough powder already , my lads . '' At the second trial , the aim was better , and the ball descended inside the stockade , scattering a cloud of sand but doing no further damage . `` Captain , '' said the squire , `` the house is quite invisible from the ship . It must be the flag they are aiming at . Would it not be wiser to take it in ? '' `` Strike my colours ! '' cried the captain . `` No , sir , not I '' ; and as soon as he had said the words , I think we all agreed with him . For it was not only a piece of stout , seamanly , good feeling ; it was good policy besides and showed our enemies that we despised their cannonade . 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 . We had no ricochet to fear , and though one popped in through the roof of the log-house and out again through the floor , we soon got used to that sort of horse-play and minded it no more than cricket . `` There is one good thing about all this , '' observed the captain ; `` the wood in front of us is likely clear . The ebb has made a good while ; our stores should be uncovered . Volunteers to go and bring in pork . '' Gray and Hunter were the first to come forward . Well armed , they stole out of the stockade , but it proved a useless mission . The mutineers were bolder than we fancied or they put more trust in Israel 's gunnery . For four or five of them were busy carrying off our stores and wading out with them to one of the gigs that lay close by , pulling an oar or so to hold her steady against the current . Silver was in the stern-sheets in command ; and every man of them was now provided with a musket from some secret magazine of their own .
The captain sat down to his log , and here is the beginning of the entry : Alexander Smollett , master ; David Livesey , ship 's doctor ; Abraham Gray , carpenter 's mate ; John Trelawney , owner ; John XXXXX and Richard Joyce , owner 's servants , landsmen -- being all that is left faithful of the ship 's company -- with stores for ten days at short rations , came ashore this day and flew British colours on the log-house in Treasure Island .
Captain Hunter Israel colours evening first gigs gunnery horse-play stern-sheets