OF ROBINSON CRUSOE.

 

to be called up, and told them that there was a design to seize the ship
and to take us for pirates; and asked them, if they would stand by
us, and by one another? The men answered cheerfully, one and all,
that they would live and die with us. Then I asked the captain, what
way he thought best for us to manage a fight with them, for resist
them I resolved we would, and that to the last drop. He said, readily,
that the way was to keep them off with our great shot as long as we’
could, and then to fire at them with our small arms, to keep them frem
boarding us; but when neither of these would do any longer, we
should retire to our close quarters—perhaps they had not materials to
break open our bulk-heads, or get in upon us.

The gunner had, in the mean time, orders to bring two guns to bear
fore and aft, out of the steerage, to clear the deck, and load them
with musket bullets and small pieces of old iron, and what next came
to hand; and thus we made ready for fight, but all this while kept out
to sea, with wind enough, and could see the boats at a distance, being
five large long-boats, following us, with all the sail they could make.

Two of these boats, which, by our glasses, we could see were English,
had outsailed the rest, were near two leagues ahead. of them, and
gained upon us considerably, so that we found they would come up
with us; upon which we fired a gun without a shot, to intimate that

 

they should bring to, and we put out a flag of truce as a signal for ~~

parley, but they kept crowding after us till they came within shot.
Upon this we took in our white flag, they having made no answer to
it, hung out the red flag, and fired at them with shot: notwithstanding
this, they came on till they were near enough to call to them with a
speaking trumpet, which we had on board; so we called to them, and
bade them keep off at their peril.

It was all one: they crowded after us, and endeavoured to come
under our stern, so to board us on our quarter: upon which, seeing
they were resolute for mischief, and depended upon the strength that
followed them, I ordered to bring the ship to, so that they lay upon
our broadside, when immediately we fired five guns at them: one of
them had been levelled so true as to carry away the stern of the hind-
ermost boat, and bring them to the necessity of taking down their sail,
and running all to the head of the boat to keep her from sinking, so
she lay by, and had enough of it; but seeing the foremost boat still
crowd on after us, we made ready to fire at her in particular.

While this was doing, one of the three boats that was behind, being -
forwarder than the other two, made up to the boat which we had dis-
abled to relieve her, and we could afterwards see her take out#the men;

we called again to the foremost boat, and offered a truce:
29.