224 ROBINSON CRUSOE. ‘ a

from the captain, I had given their liberty, and trusted them
with arms ; third, the other two that I had kept till now in my-
bower pinioned, but, on the captain’s motion, had now released ;
fourth, these five released at last; so that they were twelve in
all, besides five we kept prisoners in the cave for hostages.

I asked the captain if he was willing to venture with these
hands on board the ship: but as for me and my man Friday, I
did not think it was proper for us to stir, having seven men left
behind ; and it was employment enough for us to keep them
asunder, and supply them with victuals. As to the five in the
cave, I resolved to keep them fast ; but Friday went in twice a
day to them, to supply them with necessaries ; and I made the
other two carry provisions to a certain distance, where Friday
was to take it.

When I showed myself to the two hostages, it was with the
captain, who told them I was the person the governor had or-
dered to look after them; and that it was the governor’s pleas-
ure they should not stir anywhere but by my direction ; that if
they did, they would be fetched into the castle, and be laid in
irons; so that, as we never suffered them to see me as governor,
1 now appeared as another person, and spoke of the governor,
the garrison, the castle, and the like, upon all occasions.

The captain now had no difficulty before him, but to furnish
his two boats, stop the breach of one, and man them. He
- made his passenger captain of one, with four of the men; and
himself, his mate, and five more, went in the other; and they
contrived their business very well, for they came up to the ship
about midnight. As soon as they came within call of the ship,
he made Robinson hail them, and tell them they had brought
off the men and the boat, but that it was a long time before
they had found them, and the like; holding them in a chat till
they came to the ship’s side; when the captain and the mate,
entering first with their arms, immediately knocked down the
second mate and carpenter with the butt-end of their muskets,
being very faithfully seconded by their men ; they secured all
the rest that were upon the main and quarter-decks, and began
to fasten the hatches, to keep them down that were below;
when the other boat and their men, entering at the forechains,
secured the forecastle of the ship, and the scuttle which went
down into the cook-room, making three men they found there
prisoners. When this was done, and all safe upon deck, the
captain ordered the mate, with three men, to break into the
round-house, where the new rebel captain lay, who, having taken
the alarm, had got up, and with two men and a boy had got