818 AN INGENIOUS DEVICE,

together under a tree to consider of it. Had they thought fit to
have gone to sleep there, as the other party of them had done, they
had done the job for us; but they were too full of apprehensions of
danger to venture to go to sleep, though they could not tell what
the danger was they had to fear neither.

The captain made a very just proposal to me upon this consulta-
tion of theirs, namely, that perhaps they would all fire a volley

again, to endeavour to make their fellows hear, and that we should
all sally upon them just at the juncture when their pieces were all
Cischarged, and they w ould certainly yield, and we should shave
them without bloodshed. I liked the proposal, provided if was
done while we were near enough to come up to them before they
could load their pieces again.

But this event did not happen, and we lay still a long time very
irresolute what course to take. At length I told them there would
be nothing to be done in my opinion till night, and then, if they
did not return to the boat, perhaps we might find a way to get -
between them and the shore, and so might use some stratagem
with them in the boat to get them on shore.

We waited a great while, though very impatient for their re-
moving; and were very uneasy when, after long consultations, we
saw them start all up and march down toward the sea. It seems
they had such dreadful apprehensions upon them of the danger of
the place, that they resolved to go on board the ship again, give
their companions over for lost, and so go on with their intended
voyage with the ship.

As soon as I perceived them go toward the shore, I imagined it
to be, as it really was, that they had given over their search, and
were for going back again; and the captain, as soon as I told him
my thoughts, was ready to sink at the apprehensions of it; but I
presently thought of a stratagem to fetch them back again, and
which answered my end to a tittle.

I ordered Friday and the captain’s mate to go over the little
creek westward, towards the place where the savages came on shore
when Friday was rescued; and as soon as they came to a little
rising ground, at about half a mile distance, I bade them halloo
as loud as they could, and wait till they found the seamen heard