4

OF ROBINSON CRUSOE. 23

 

 

should direct; but that, unless something: offered that was more a call
to me than yet I knew of, I would not meddle with them.

With this resolution I entered the wood, and, with all possible wari-
ness and silence (Friday following close at my heels), I marched till 1
came to the skirt of the wood, on the side which was next to them;
only that one corner of the wood lay between me and them: here I
called softly to Friday, and showing him a great tree, which was just at
‘the corner of the wood, I bade him go to the tree, and bring me word
if he could see there plainly what they were doing: he did so, and
came immediately back to me, and told me they might be plainly
viewed there; that they were all about the fire, eating the flesh of one
of their prisoners; and that another lay bound upon the sand, a little
from them, whom he said they would kill next, and which fired the
very soul within me. He told me it was not one of their nation, but
one of the bearded men whom he had told me of, who came to their
country in the boat. I was filled with horror at the very naming the
white bearded man, and, going to the tree, I saw plainly by my glass,
a white man, who lay upon the beach of the sea, with his hands and
his feet tied with flags, or things like rushes; and that™he was a Euro-
pean, and had clothes on. Ser Ainge

There was another tree, and a little thicket beyond it, about any
yards nearer to them than the place where I was, which, by going a
little way about, I saw I might come at undiscovered, and that then I
should be within half shot of them ; so I withheld my passion, though
I was indeed enraged to the highest degree, and going back about
twenty paces, I got behind some bushes, which held all the way till I
came to the other tree, and then I came to a little rising ground, which
gave me a full view of them, at the distance of about eighty yards.

I had now not a moment to lose; for nineteen of the dreadfi
wretches sat upon the ground all close huddled together, and had just
sent the other two to butcher the poor Christian, and bring him, per-
haps, limb by limb to their fire; and they were stooped down to untie
the bands at his feet. I turned to Friday: “Now Friday,” said I,
‘do as I bid thee.” Friday said he would. “Then Friday,” said I,
“do exactly as you see me do; fail in nothing.” So I set down one
of the muskets and the fowling-piece upon the ground, and Friday the
like by his; and with the other musket I took my aim at the savages,
bidding him do the like. Then asking him if he was ready, he said,
“‘ Yes.”—“ Then fire at them,” said 1; and the same moment I fired
also. a:

Friday took his aim so much better than I, that on the side that he ~
shot he killed two of them, and- wc unded three more; and on my side,