OF ROBINSON CRUSUE. 279.

attacked the man with that violence, that he had not time, or not pre-
sence of mind enough, to draw his pistol, but hallooed and cried out
to us most lustily. My man Friday being next to me, I bid him ride
up, and see what was the matter. As soon as Friday came in sight
of the man, he hallooed as loud as the other, ‘“O master! O master!”
But, like a bold fellow, rode directly up to the man, and with his pis-
tol shot the wolf that attacked him in the head.

It was happy for the poor man that it was my man Friday: for he,
having been used to that kind of creature in his country, had no fear
upon him, but went close up to him, and shot him as above; whereas,
any of us would have fired at a farther distance, and have, perhaps,
either missed the wolf, or endangered shooting the man.

But it was enough to have terrified a bolder man than I, and indeed
it alarmed all our company, when, with the noise of Friday’s pistol,
we heard on both sides the dismalest howlings of wolves, and the noise
redoubled by the echo of the mountains, that it was to us as if there
had been a prodigious multitude of them; and, perhaps, indeed there
was not such a few, as that we had no cause of apprehensions.

However, as Friday had killed this wolf, the other, that had fas-

 

 

tened upon the horse, left him immediately, and fled, having happily

fastened upon his head, where the bosses of the bridle had stuck in
his teeth, so that he had not done him much hurt: the man, indeed,
was most hurt; for the raging creature had bit him twice, once on the
arm, and the other time a little above his knee; and he was just as it
were tumbling down by the disorder of the horse, when F 'riday came
up and shot the wolf.

It is easy to suppose, that at the noise of Friday’s pistol we all
mended our pace, and rode up as fast as the way (which was very diffi-
cult) would give us leave, to see what was the matter. As soon as we
came clear of the trees, which blinded us before, we saw plainly what
had been the case, and how Friday had disengaged the poor guide:
though we did not presently discern what kind of a creature 11 was he
had killed.