`` You 're the man to keep your word , we know that . '' Well , that was about the last news we had of the three pirates . Only once we heard a gunshot a great way off and supposed them to be hunting . A council was held , and it was decided that we must desert them on the island -- to the huge glee , I must say , of Ben Gunn , and with the strong approval of Gray . We left a good stock of powder and shot , the bulk of the salt goat , a few medicines , and some other necessaries , tools , clothing , a spare sail , a fathom or two of rope , and by the particular desire of the doctor , a handsome present of tobacco . That was about our last doing on the island . Before that , we had got the treasure stowed and had shipped enough water and the remainder of the goat meat in case of any distress ; and at last , one fine morning , we weighed anchor , which was about all that we could manage , and stood out of North Inlet , the same colours flying that the captain had flown and fought under at the palisade . The three fellows must have been watching us closer than we thought for , as we soon had proved . For coming through the narrows , we had to lie very near the southern point , and there we saw all three of them kneeling together on a spit of sand , with their arms raised in supplication . It went to all our hearts , I think , to leave them in that wretched state ; but we could not risk another mutiny ; and to take them home for the gibbet would have been a cruel sort of kindness . The doctor hailed them and told them of the stores we had left , and where they were to find them . But they continued to call us by name and appeal to us , for God 's sake , to be merciful and not leave them to die in such a place . At last , seeing the ship still bore on her course and was now swiftly drawing out of earshot , one of them -- I know not which it was -- leapt to his feet with a hoarse cry , whipped his musket to his shoulder , and sent a shot whistling over Silver 's head and through the main-sail . After that , we kept under cover of the bulwarks , and when next I looked out they had disappeared from the spit , and the spit itself had almost melted out of sight in the growing distance . That was , at least , the end of that ; and before noon , to my inexpressible joy , the highest rock of Treasure Island had sunk into the blue round of sea . We were so short of men that everyone on board had to bear a hand -- only the captain lying on a mattress in the stern and giving his orders , for though greatly recovered he was still in want of quiet . We laid her head for the nearest port in Spanish America , for we could not risk the voyage home without fresh hands ; and as it was , what with baffling winds and a couple of fresh gales , we were all worn out before we reached it . It was just at sundown when we cast anchor in a most beautiful land-locked gulf , and were immediately surrounded by shore boats full of Negroes and Mexican Indians and half-bloods selling fruits and vegetables and offering to dive for bits of money . The sight of so many good-humoured faces -LRB- especially the blacks -RRB- , the taste of the tropical fruits , and above all the lights that began to shine in the town made a most charming contrast to our dark and bloody sojourn on the island ; and the doctor and the squire , taking me along with them , went ashore to pass the early part of the night . Here they met the captain of an English man-of-war , fell in talk with him , went on board his ship , and , in short , had so agreeable a time that day was breaking when we came alongside the HISPANIOLA .
Ben XXXXX was on deck alone , and as soon as we came on board he began , with wonderful contortions , to make us a confession .
Gunn HISPANIOLA Inlet Island bulwarks day main-sail man-of-war morning noon