806 A FORMLDABLE FIGURE,

They had left two men in the boat, who, as T found afterwards
having drunk a little too much brandy, fell asleep; however, one
of them waking sooner than the other, and finding the boat too
fast aground for him to stir it, hallooed for the rest who were
straggling about, upon which they all soon came to the boat; but
it was past all their strength to launch her, the boat being very
heavy, and the shore on that side being a soft oozy sand, almost
like a quicksand

In this condition, like true seamen, who are perhaps the least of
all mankind given to forethought, they gave it over, and away
they strolled about the country again; and T heard one of them
say aloud to another, calling them off from the boat, * Why, let
her alone, Jack, can’t ye; she will float next tide ;”—-by which I
was fully confirmed in the main inquiry of what countrymen they
were.

All this while I kept myself very close, not once daring to stir
out of my castle any further than to my place of observation near
the top of the hill; and very glad T was to think how well it was
fortified. T knew it was no less than ten hours before the boat
could be on float again, and by that time it would be dark, and L
might be at more liberty to see their motions, and to hear their
discourse, if they had any.

In the meantime I fitted myself up fora battle as before; though
with more caution, knowing I had to do with another kind of
enemy than [ had at first. IT ordered Friday also, whom I had
made an excellent marksman with his gun, to load himself with
arms. IT took myself my two fowling-pieces, and | gave him three
muskets. My figure indeed was very fierce: Thad my formidable
goat-skin coat on, with the great cap I have mentioned, a naked
sword by my side, two pistols in my belt, and a gun upon each
shoulder.

It was my design, as I said above, not to have made any attempt
till it was dark; but about two o’clock, being the heat of the day,
T found that in short they were all gone straggling into the woods,
and, as I thought, were laid down to sleep. ‘The three poor dis-
tressed men, too anxious for their condition to get any sleep, were,
however, set down under the shelter of a great tree, at about a