OF roo CRUSOE. ; 245

 

When they were on shore, I was fully satisfied they were English
men, at least most of them; one or two I thought were Dutch, but it
did not prove so. ‘There were in all eleven men, whereof three of.
them I found were unarmed, and (as I thought) bound; and when the
first four or five of them were jumped on shore, they took those three
out of the boat as prisoners. One of the three I could perceive using
the most passionate gestures of entreaty, affliction, and despair, even
to a kind of extravagance; the other two, I could perceive, lifted up
their hands sometimes, and appeared concerned indeed, but not to such
a degree as the first.

I was perfectly confounded at the sight, and knew not what the
meaning of it should be; Friday called out to me in English, as well
as he could, ‘‘ Oh, master! you see English mans eat prisoners as well
as savage mans.’’—‘“‘ Why,” said I, ‘‘ Friday, do you think they are
going to eat them then?’—‘ Yes,” said Friday, “they will eat
them.”’—‘“‘ No, no,” said I, ‘‘ Friday ; I am afraid they will murder
them indeed; but you may be sure they will not eat them.”

All this while I had no thought of what the matter really was, but
stood trembling with the horror of the sight, expecting every moment
when the three prisoners should be killed; nay, once I saw one of the
villains lift up his arm with a great cutlass (as the seamen call it) or
sword, to strike one of the poor men; and I expected to see him fall
every moment, at which all the blood in my body seemed to run chill
in my veins.

I wished heartily now for our Spaniard, and the savage that was
gone with him; or that I had any way to have come undiscovered
within shot of them, that I might have rescued the three men; for I
‘saw no fire-arms they had among them; but it fell out to my mind
another way.

After I had observed the outrageous usage of the three men by the
insolent seamen, I observed the fellows ran scattering about the land,
as if they wanted to see the country. I observed also, that the
three other men had liberty to go where they pleased; but they sat
down all three upon the ground very pensive, and Jooked like men in
despair.

This put me in mind of the first time when I came on shore, and
began to look about me; how I gave myself over for lost, how wildly
I looked round me, what dreadful apprehensions I had, and how I
lodged in the tree all night, for fear of being devoured by wild beasts.

As I knew nothing that night of the supply I was to receive by the:
providential driving of the ship nearer the land by the storms ‘ard:
tides, by which I have since been so long nourished and supported 380 ©