In the midst of all this the lamp still cast a smoky glow , obscure and brown as umber . I went into the cellar ; all the barrels were gone , and of the bottles a most surprising number had been drunk out and thrown away . Certainly , since the mutiny began , not a man of them could ever have been sober . Foraging about , I found a bottle with some brandy left , for Hands ; and for myself I routed out some biscuit , some pickled fruits , a great bunch of raisins , and a piece of cheese . With these I came on deck , put down my own stock behind the rudder head and well out of the coxswain 's reach , went forward to the water-breaker , and had a good deep drink of water , and then , and not till then , gave Hands the brandy . He must have drunk a gill before he took the bottle from his mouth . `` Aye , '' said he , `` by thunder , but I wanted some o ' that ! '' I had sat down already in my own corner and begun to eat . `` Much hurt ? '' I asked him . He grunted , or rather , I might say , he barked . `` If that doctor was aboard , '' he said , `` I 'd be right enough in a couple of turns , but I do n't have no manner of luck , you see , and that 's what 's the matter with me . As for that swab , he 's good and dead , he is , '' he added , indicating the man with the red cap . `` He war n't no seaman anyhow . And where mought you have come from ? '' `` Well , '' said I , `` I 've come aboard to take possession of this ship , Mr. Hands ; and you 'll please regard me as your captain until further notice . '' He looked at me sourly enough but said nothing . Some of the colour had come back into his cheeks , though he still looked very sick and still continued to slip out and settle down as the ship banged about . `` By the by , '' I continued , `` I ca n't have these colours , Mr. Hands ; and by your leave , I 'll strike 'em . Better none than these . ''
And again dodging the boom , I ran to the XXXXX lines , handed down their cursed black flag , and chucked it overboard .
Hands colour colours coxswain left raisins right swab war water-breaker