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. Hands , '' said I , `` and I 'll blow your brains out ! Dead men do n't bite , you know , '' I added with a chuckle . He stopped instantly . I could see by the working of his face that he was trying to think , and the process was so slow and laborious that , in my new-found security , I laughed aloud . At last , with a swallow or two , he spoke , his face still wearing the same expression of extreme perplexity . In order to speak he had to take the dagger from his mouth , but in all else he remained unmoved . `` Jim , '' says he , `` I reckon we 're fouled , you and me , and we 'll have to sign articles . I 'd have had you but for that there lurch , but I do n't have no luck , not I ; and I reckon I 'll have to strike , which comes hard , you see , for a master mariner to a ship 's younker like you , Jim . '' I was drinking in his words and smiling away , as conceited as a cock upon a wall , when , all in a breath , back went his right hand over his shoulder . Something sang like an arrow through the air ; I felt a blow and then a sharp pang , and there I was pinned by the shoulder to the mast . In the horrid pain and surprise of the moment -- I scarce can say it was by my own volition , and I am sure it was without a conscious aim -- both my pistols went off , and both escaped out of my hands . They did not fall alone ; with a choked cry , the coxswain loosed his grasp upon the shrouds and plunged head first into the water . 27 `` Pieces of Eight '' OWING to the cant of the vessel , the masts hung far out over the water , and from my perch on the cross-trees I had nothing below me but the surface of the bay . Hands , who was not so far up , was in consequence nearer to the ship and fell between me and the bulwarks . He rose once to the surface in a lather of foam and blood and then sank again for good .
As the water settled , I could XXXXX him lying huddled together on the clean , bright sand in the shadow of the vessel 's sides .
added changing fell loosed lurch remained sang see struck went