Before You Read: Target Vocabulary
Essential words to understand this chapter easily.
coracle
/ˈkɒr.ə.kəl/a small, round, lightweight boat made of waterproof material stretched over a wooden frame
slacken
/ˈslæk.ən/to become looser, less tight, or less active
quarrel
/ˈkwɒr.əl/an angry disagreement or argument between people
sever
/ˈsev.ər/to cut through something completely and divide it into parts
Chapter Text Preview
The little skin-and-wood coracle made by Ben Gunn was safe enough for someone of my size, but it was extremely awkward to steer. Whatever I did with the paddle, she drifted sideways and spun in circles. Ben Gunn had warned me that she was strange to manage until you learned her tricks, and I certainly had not learned them yet. Luckily for me, even though I could not control the direction, the strong outgoing tide swept me along. Out in the dark water lay the Hispaniola, right in my path. First, she appeared only as a dark shape against the...
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