OF ROBINSON CRUSCE. 203

I was dreadfully frighted (that I must acknowledge), when I per-
ceived him to run my way: and especially when, as I thought, I saw
him pursued by the whole body; and now I expected that part of my
dream was coming to pass, and that he would certainly take shelter in
my grove; but I could not depend, by any means, upon my dream for -
‘the rest of it, namely, that the other savages would not pursue him
thither, and find him there. However, I kept my station, and my
spirits began to recover, when I found that there were not above three
men that followed him; and still more was I encouraged when I found
that he outstripped them exceedingly in running, and gained ground —
of them: so that if he could but hold it for half an hour, I saw easily
he would fairly get away from them all.

There was between them and my castle the creek, which I mentioned
often at the first part of my story, when I landed my cargoes out of
the ship; and this I knew he must necessarily swim over, or the poor
wretch would be taken there: but when the savage escaping came
thither, he made nothing of it, though the tide was then up; but
plunging in, swam through in ‘about thirty strokes, or thereabouts,
landed, and ran on with exceeding strength and swiftness. When the
three pursuers came to the creek, I found that two of them could swim,
but the third could not, and that he, standing on the other side, looked
at the other, but went no farther; and soon after went softly back
again, which, as it happened, was very well for him in the main. -

I observed, that the two who swam were yet more than twice as long:
swimming over the creek as the fellow wag that fled from them. I¢ .¥
came now very warmly upon my thoughts, and indeed irresistibly, that’
now was my time to get a servant, and perhaps a companion, or assist=~
ant, and that I was called plainly by Providence to save this poor
creature's life. I immediately got down the ladders with all possible
expedition, fetched my two guns, for they were both at the foot of the
ladder, as I observed above; and getting up again with the same haste
to the top of the hill, I crossed towards the sea; and having a very.
short cut, and all down hill, clapped myself in the way between the
pursuers and the pursued, hallooing aloud to him that fled, who, took-
ing back, was at first perhaps as much frighted at me as at them;.
but I beckoned with my hand to him to come back; and in the mean
time I slowly advanced towards the two that followed; then rushing ~~
at once upon the foremost, I knocked him down with the stock of my ;
piece; I was loath to fire, because I would-not have the rest hear, ©
though at that distance it would not have been easily heard; and being -
out of sight of the smoke too, they would not have easily known wha
io make of it. Having Knaeked ae fellow down, th :