236 THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES

 

had got two more cakes, or loaves of bread. The bread he gave me,
but the water he carried to his father: however, as I was very thirsty
too, I took a little sup of it. This water revived his father more than
all the rum or spirits I had given him; for he was just fainting with
thirst.

When his father had drunk, I called him, to know if there was any
water left? He said “Yes;” and I bade him give it to the poor
Spaniard, who was in as much want of it as his father; and I sent one
of the cakes that Friday brought to the Spaniard too, who was indeed
very weak, and was reposing himself upon a green place, under the
shade of a tree, and whose limbs were also very stiff, and very much
swelled with the rude bandage he had been tied with. When I saw
that upon Friday’s coming to him with the water, he sat up and drank,
and took the bread, and began to eat, I went to him, and gave him a
handful of raisins; he looked up in my face with all the tokens of
gratitude and thankfulness that could appear in any countenance; but
was so weak, notwithstanding he had so exerted himself in the fight,
that he could not stand upon his feet; he tried +> do it two or three
times, but was really not able, his ankles were so swelled and so pain-
ful to him; so I bade him sit still, and caused Friday to rub his ankles,
and bathe them with rum, as he had done his father’s.

I observed the poor affectionate creature, every two minutes, or per-
haps less, all the while he was here, turned his head about, to see if
his father was in the same place and posture as he left him sitting ;
and at last he found he was not to be seen; at which he started up,
and, without speaking a word, flew with that swiftness to him, that one
could scarée. perceive his feet to touch the ground as he went; but
when he came, he only found he had laid himself down to ease his
limbs: so Friday came back to me presently, and I then spoke to the
Spaniard to let Friday help him up, if he could, and lead him to the
boat, and then he should carry him to our dwelling, where I would
take care of him; but Friday, a lusty young fellow, took the Spaniard
quite up upon his back, and carried him away to the boat, and set him
down softly upon the side, or gunnel of the canoe, with his feet in the
inside of it, and then lifted them quite in, and set him close to his
father, and presently stepping out again, launched the boat off, and
paddied it along the shore faster than I could walk, though the wind
blew pretty hard too: so he brought them safe into our creek; and
leaving them in the boat, runs away to fetch the other canoe. As he
passed me, I spoke to him, and asked him whither he went? He told
me, “ Go fetch more boat:” so away he went, like the wind: for sure
uever man nor horse ran like him, and he had the other canoe in the