OF ROBINSON CRUSOE. 265.

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in the fact, as by my commission they could not doubt I had authority
to do. \

 

Oxe of them answered in the name of the rest, that they had no- \

thing to say but this, that when they were taken, the captain pro-
mised them their lives, and they humbly implored my mercy: but I
told them I knew not what mercy to show them ; for, as for myself, I
had resolved to quit the island with all my men, and had taken passage
with the captain to go for England: and as for the captain, he could
not carry them to England, other than as prisoners in irons to be tried
for mutiny, and running away with the ship; the consequence of which,
they must needs know, would be the gallows; so that I could not tell
what was the best for them, unless they had a mind to take their fate
in the island: if they desired that, I did not care, as I had liberty to
leave it: I had some inclination to give them their lives, if they thought
they could shift on shore. They seemed very thankful for it; said
they would much rather venture to stay there, than to be carried to
England to be hanged: so I left it on that issue.

However, the captain seemed to make some difficulty of it, as if he
durst not leave them there; upon this I seemed to be a little angry
with the captain, and told him, that they were my prisoners, not his ;
and that, seeing I had offered them so much favour, I would be as good
as my word; and that if he did not think fit to consent to it, I would
set them at liberty as I found them; and if he did not like that, he
might take them again if he could catch them.

Upon this they appeared very thankful, and I accordingly set them
at liberty, and bade them retire into the woods, to the place whence
they came, and I would leave them some firearms, some ammunition,
and some directions how they should live very well, if they thought fit.

Upon this, I prepared to go on board the ship ; but told the captain
that I would stay that night to prepare my things; and desired him
to go on board in the mean time, and keep all right in the ship, and
send the boat on shore the next day for me; ordering him in the mean
time to cause the new captain, who was killed, to be hanged at the yard-
arm, that these men might see him.

When the captain was gone, I sent for the men up to me to my
apartment, and entered seriously into discourse with them of their cir-
cumstances: I told them, I thought they had made a right choice;
that if the captain carried them away, they would certainly be hanged;
I showed them their captain hanging at the yard-arm of the ship, and
told them they had nothing less to expect.

wot

When they ‘had all declared their g@ingness to stay, Tthen told

them I would let them into the story of my living there, and put them