236 LANDING OF THE SAVAGES,

I was indeed terribly surprised
at the sight, and stepped short
within my grove, not daring to
go out lest I might be surprised ;
and yet I had no more peace
within, from the apprehensions I
had that if these savages, in ram-
| bling over the island, should find my corn stand-
| ing or cut, or any of my works or improve-
| ments, they would immediately conclude that
there were people in the place, and would then
never give over till they had found me out. In
this extremity I went back directly to my castle,
pulled up the ladder after me, and made all things
without look as wild and natural as I could.

Then I prepared myself within, putting my-
self in a posture of defence. I loaded all my
cannon, as I called them—that is to say, my
muskets, which were mounted upon my new
fortification—and all my pistols, and resolved to
defend myself to the last gasp; not forgetting
seriously to commend myself to the divine pro-
tection, and earnestly to pray to God to deliver
me out of the hands of the barbarians. And
in this posture I continued about two hours, but
began to be mighty impatient for intelligence

    

“ WENT BACK DI- é
RECTLY, AND putLED abroad, for I had no spies to send out.
UP THE LADDER AFTER
ME.”

After sitting a while longer, and musing what
I should do in this case, I was not able to bear
sitting in ignorance any longer; so setting up my ladder to
the side of the hill, where there was a flat place, as I observed
before, and then pulling the ladder up after me, I set it up
again, and mounted to the top of the hill, and pulling out my
perspective-glass, which I had taken on purpose, I laid me
down flat on my belly on the ground, and began to look for
the place. I presently found there was no less than nine
naked savages, sitting round a small fire they had made, not to