The Castaways Read Online Free

Penny didn’t have the nerve to go through with it. But no sooner had I spoken than a hand reached out.
    It was Midgely’s. He nearly fell forward in his eagerness, groping first for my arm, then following it down to my elbow, my wrist, and at last to my closed fingers. He pried them open. He snatched out a strip of cloth and clamped it to his chest.
    In a burst the others followed, Weedle last, and I was left with only one piece of cloth in my fist. Boggis asked, “Do we look now?”
    “It’s Tom Tin!” cried Midgely, though no one had yet opened his hand, and he could see nothing but gray. “It’s Tom who’ll do the bashing, ain’t it?”
    We unrolled the bits of cloth, and they flapped from our fingers like miserable flags. I stared at my own—the one with a knot at the end—then looked up to see Weedle, wide-eyed, looking back.
    Little Midge, proven right, was already holding out his lot, pushing it against my arm. “Now choose to see who buys it,” he said. “Choose who snuffs it, Tom.”
    It made my skin crawl to see his eagerness, his pleasure in this dreadful business. It came to my mind that he hadn’t asked for this to save himself, or me, or anyone, but only because he’d seen the end for Benjamin Penny. He was at last reaping vengeance for Penny’s blinding of his eyes.
    We performed the same ritual, though with four bits ofcloth this time. I dropped one into the bilge and squeezed the others in my hand. I felt relief—despite myself—to be spared from this second, more terrible drawing. But now my hand shook worse than ever, and there was much sideways looking, much dabbing of tongues on sunburnt lips.
    Again Midgely was the first to choose, nearly spilling the pieces from my fist. The others followed more slowly, and so Midgely spoke before all the lots were chosen.
    “It’s Benjamin Penny!” he shouted in triumph. “Ain’t it? It’s you!” He was standing up. For the first time in three or four days he came to his feet. The boat was rocking, and he swayed with the motion. “I
seen
it was you. I seen it in a dream, Benjamin Penny!”
    Well, Penny turned white. He looked around from face to face, then down at his hand that held the lot. Only he could see the cloth that was folded in the cup of his palm. Then an odd expression came to his face, and a small sound exploded from his mouth, almost like a laugh.

four

A SAIL APPEARS, AND THEN AN OMEN
    “Do him in!” cried Midgely. His parched throat gave him a witch’s cackle. “Use the axe, Tom. Do it now!”
    Penny let the cloth fall from his hand. It fluttered down and landed on the water in the bilge. It was clear of knots from end to end. Penny was saved.
    “I seen it coming. I seen it,” said Midgely.
    Boggis spread his strip apart. Walter Weedle opened his. Little Midgely, still standing, flapped the piece of shirttail from his fingers. He was holding the one that was knotted.
    “I knew you was done for, Benjamin Penny,” he said. “I seen it days ago.”
    All four unknotted bits of cloth were floating at my feet.I picked them up and stared at them, wishing I could fit them back into my shirt and undo all we had done.
    At last, Midgely’s voice faded away. We heard water gurgling below the boat, slapping at the paddle wheel. The fin of the shark made a little slicing sound through the waves, and the turtle shell rocked with a gentle tapping on the ribs.
    Very slowly, Midgely changed again to the sadly serious little boy. He frowned, then sighed, then lifted his lot to his blind eyes.
    “It’s me,” he said with quiet wonder. “Ain’t it, Tom? It’s me.” He ran the cloth through his fingers, and drew a little gasp when he felt the knot.
    Penny laughed. He laughed long and hard, with sinful cruelty. Then he picked up the axe and held it out for me. “Do it now, Tom,” he said, mimicking Midge. “Do him in!” And he laughed again.
    “Shut up!” roared Boggis. To me he spoke softly. “I’m sorry, Tom. I don’t