Chapter 21 of Treasure Island explodes into a brutal clash as the pirates launch their long-anticipated assault on the stockade. Tensions run high as Captain Smollett snaps his crew into action, blasting the loyalists for abandoning their posts.

His bellowing command, “Quarters!” echoes through the fort, jolting everyone into readiness for the chaos about to descend.

The battle begins with gunfire from the woods, the pirates’ shots tearing through the air as the loyalists fire back. But the defenders are inexperienced, their aim unsteady, and the situation quickly spirals toward disaster.

Fear grips both sides, and the hurried, inaccurate shots fail to make an impact—until the pirates storm the stockade.

“The boarders swarmed over the fence like monkeys.”

Chaos erupts as the pirates breach the fort, and the loyalists are forced into close combat, wielding cutlasses against their attackers. Blood spills on both sides as the defenders, outnumbered and outmatched, fight desperately for their lives. Hunter falls to a stunning blow, Joyce lies dead, and the loyalists face overwhelming odds.

But against all expectation, the loyalists rally. In a breathtaking burst of courage and determination, they drive back the pirates, the air thick with the clash of blades and the cries of battle.

“In this breath of time, the fight was over, and the victory was ours.”

When the dust settles, the cost is painfully clear: one loyalist is dead, others are wounded, and the pirate force has been reduced to eight. Yet the threat is far from over, and the loyalists are bloodied but not broken.

What will the pirates’ next move be, and can the loyalists withstand another attack? Chapter 21 delivers a gripping battle that tests the mettle of everyone in the stockade—and the worst may still be ahead.

BUILD A MODEL STOCKADE

“If the mutineers succeeded in crossing the stockade, he argued, they would take possession of any unprotected loophole, and shoot us down like rats in our own stronghold.”

The faithful company had several lines of defense against the pirates: the girdle of trees around the fort, the stockade, and the log block-house itself. We’re going to build a model stockade.

TERMS TO KNOW

“I thought you had worn the king’s coat” – the uniform worn by soldiers in the British service, symbolizing allegiance to the crown.

“A flea in his ear” – means they’ve been warned in a way that leaves them feeling disgruntled, like how a flea bite agitates them.

“I’ve given Silver a broadside” – means he’s confronted Long John Silver with a strong, direct challenge. “Broadside” refers to firing all the guns on one side of a ship simultaneously.

“We shall be boarded” – means the enemy is expected to try to forcibly enter their position, to prepare for an imminent attack.

“We can drub them” – means “we can beat them soundly.” Drub means to thrash, beat, or overpower someone.

Iron fire basket – a sturdy, metal basket designed to hold burning wood or coals, typically made of wrought iron or cast iron (also known as a fire grate or brazier).

“Our girdle of trees” – a surrounding line of trees that acts as a natural barrier. A girdle is a belt that encircles, so a “girdle of trees” describes a ring of trees surrounding an area.

Musketeers – men armed with muskets.

A loud huzza – a loud, enthusiastic cheer. “Huzza” (sometimes spelled “huzzah”), is similar to “hooray” today.

"Beat down his guard – refers to forcing an opponent’s defenses aside, usually in a fight involving swords or hand-to-hand combat.

Hurly-burly – means noisy commotion, chaos, or uproar.

“Leaped in a trice upon one side” – someone jumped quickly to the side. “In a trice” means “in an instant” or “very quickly.”