This was to slip out under cover of the night, cut theHispaniolaadrift, and let her go ashore where she fancied. I had quite made up my mind that the mutineers, after their repulse of the morning, had nothing nearer their hearts than to up anchor and away to sea; this, I thought, it would be a fine thing to prevent, and now that I had seen how they left their watchmen unprovided with a boat, I thought it might be done with little risk.
Yo estaba persuadido de que los amotinados, después de su derrota de aquella mañana, no estarían sino deseando levar anclas y hacerse a la mar, y juzgué que impedírselo podía servir a nuestros intereses. Visto que los vigilantes de la goleta no tenían ningún bote, pensé que llevar a cabo mi plan no entrañaba gran riesgo.