428 THE LIFE AND ADVENTURFS

We took twenty stout fellows with us as any in the ship, besides the
supercargo and myself; and we landed two hours before midnight, at
the same place where the Indians stood drawn up the evening before.
I landed here, because my design, as I have said, was chiefly to see if
they had quitted the field, and if they had left any marks behind them,
or of the mischief we had done them; and I thought if we could sur-
prise one or two of them, perhaps we might get our man again by way
of exchange.

We landed without any noise, and divided our men into two com-
panies, whereof the boatswain commanded one, and I the other. We
neither could hear nor see anybody stir when we landed; so we
marched up, one body at a distance from the other, to the field of
battle. At first we could see nothing, it being very dark; but by and
by our boatswain that led the first party, stumbled and fell over a dead
body. This made them halt there a while; for knowing by the circum-
stances that they were at the place where the Indians had stood, they
waited for my coming up. Here we concluded to halt till the moon
began to rise, which we knew would be in less than an hour, and then
we could easily discern the havoc we had made among them. We told
two-and-thirty bodies upon the ground, whereof two were not quite dead.
Some had an arm, and some a leg shot off, and one his head: those
that were wounded we supposed they had carried away.

When we had made, as I thought, a full discovery of all we could
come at the knowledge of, I was for going on board again; but the
boatswain and his party often sent me word, that they were resolved to
make a visit to the Indian town, where these dogs, as they called them,
dwelt, and desired me to go along with them, and if they could find
them, as they still fancied they should, they did not doubt, they said,
getting a good booty, and it might be that they might find Thomas
Jeffrys there,—that was the man’s name we had lost.

Had they sent to ask my leave to go, I knew well enough what
answer to have given them; for I would have commanded them
instantly on board, knowing it was not a hazard fit for us to run, who
had a ship and a ship’s loading in our charge, and a voyage to make,
which depended very much upon the lives of the men; but as they
sent me word they were resolved to go, and only asked me and my
company to go along with them, I positively refused it, and rose up
(for I was sitting on the ground) in order to go to the boat. One or
two of the men began to importune me to go, and when I still refused
positively began to grumble, and say they were not under my command,
and they would go. ‘‘ Come, Jack,” says one of the men, “ will you
go with mo? I will go for one.’’ Jack said he would; and another