Chapter 16: How the Ship Was Abandoned
We left off last time with Jim hearing gunfire and the retort of the ship’s cannon. For this chapter, we actually roll back the clock a bit and get Dr. Livesey’s report of what took place while Jim was away. I find this more fun than Jim simply recounting what he learned upon his return, although this chapter inadvertently clarifies why Livesey asked Jim to write the book, as Livesey is kind of a boring read.
I jest somewhat. This chapter has the onerous task of handling the logistics leading up to the events to come, which is doubly unfortunate as they are going to happen somewhere else and we have to get all our supplies over there. Stevenson tries to flesh out the scene with small details to keep us invested—such as what tunes folks are whistling—but the results are generally middling. As such, I’ll run through the important parts quick.
Upon hearing that Jim went ashore, everybody is immediately worried for his safety. It’s decided that Livesey should go ashore to gather information, although it’s not clear whether they are trying to keep tabs on Jim or if this is just a general scouting mission.
Either way, this mostly becomes the latter; Livesey lands downshore of the pirates, and when he goes inland he discovers a log cabin surrounded by clear land and a 6-foot stockade wall—a veritable fortress, and complete with running water, too. Having served in the military in his youth, he realizes this could be the perfect place to fight off the pirates. This is just in time, because he hears the same cry of pain that Jim did last chapter (though Livesey believes this is Jim himself; Skep, meanwhile, is dubious that a 14-year-old boy screams the same as a grown man). Deciding that it’s best to take action while they still have the element of surprise, he hauls ass back to the ship.
It turns out that everybody aboard heard the cry, too, and Captain Smollett agrees that the battle is near. The pirates who stayed behind get trapped below deck as Smollett covers both exits with guns; meanwhile, Livesey loads up the rowboat with as many muskets and provisions as it can carry. In this way, the stockade receives its first supply dump; but the pirates lingering on the shore grow suspicious at Livesey taking so many trips back and forth so much, and they disappear into the trees, seemingly to gather the others. Time is short.
He returns to the ship one more time to fetch the others; they pack up as many supplies as they dare, and Smollett is able to win over one of the rookie crew members who hadn’t fully thrown in with the pirates yet. Rowboat fully loaded, they embark for land to mount their desperate defense.