Chapter 28 of Treasure Island pulls readers into a tense standoff as Jim Hawkins finds himself face-to-face with the remaining buccaneers in the block-house.

But these are not the fearsome pirates of legend; the six mutineers are battered, bloodied, and shaken from a recent battle.

“Five of them were on their feet, flushed and swollen… the sixth had only risen upon his elbow; he was deadly pale, and the blood-stained bandage round his head told that he had recently been wounded, and still more recently dressed.”

Despite their weakened state, the pirates are still dangerous. Long John Silver, ever the schemer, tries to sway Jim to join their side, warning him that the loyalists are furious with his supposed desertion. For a moment, Jim dares to hope:

“So far so good. My friends, then, were still alive…”

But Jim refuses to betray his principles, boldly standing against the pirates. In a daring move, he offers them a choice:

“It is for you to choose. Kill another and do yourselves no good, or spare me and keep a witness to save you from the gallows.”

The other pirates are ready to kill Jim on the spot, but Silver, with his sharp survival instincts, steps in to protect him. In a surprising twist, the cunning pirate confides in Jim, hinting that he’s ready to abandon his mutinous crew.

“I know when a game’s up, I do…”

Is Silver truly switching sides, or is this another of his elaborate schemes? With the pirates divided and tensions high, Chapter 28 sets the stage for shifting alliances, dangerous gambles, and a battle of wits where Jim’s survival hangs by a thread.

SCAVENGER HUNT FOR SURVIVAL

“Right in front of me a glow of a different colour appeared among the trees. It was red and hot, and now and again it was a little darkened - as it were the embers of a bonfire smoldering.”

As Jim is walking back to the block-house, he sees something in the trees that resembles a campfire. He doesn’t realize it might be the loyalists. We’re going on a scavenger for survival supplies.

TERMS TO KNOW

Preening her plumage – a parrot grooming its feathers.

“Give me a loan of the link” – requesting the use of a torch. The term “link” referred to a torch made of tow (a coarse fiber) dipped in pitch, commonly used to light darkened streets.

“Stick the glim in the wood heap” – “glim” is a light or lantern.

Truculently – speech that is defiant, hostile, or eager to fight.

In the dog watch – the shorter evening shifts on a ship.

“As for them, they’ve tramped” – refers to the pirates leaving in search of something.

Mahogany-faced seaman – a weathered, experienced sailor.

“Avast, there!” – means “stop” or “hold fast.”

Yard-arm – the outer ends of a ship’s yard – a horizontal spar (long wooden pole) mounted on the mast – to support and spread the ship’s square sails.

“I’ll see the colour of his inside” – “I’ll cut him open.”

“This crew don’t vally bullying a marlinspike” – the crew doesn’t “value” intimidation. (A marlinspike is a pointed tool used by sailors to work with ropes, knots, or splicing.)

Fo’c’s’le council – an informal gathering of sailors in the forecastle (abbreviated as fo’c’s’le) of a ship – the forward part of the ship where sailors traditionally lived and spent time off-duty.

“You speak up plucky” – language that is bold and brave.

“I know a lad that’s staunch” – a young man who is loyal, reliable, or steadfast.

“I need a caulker” – someone who seals the seams of a ship with caulk (a waterproof material) to prevent leaks.