ROBINSON CRUSOE, 227

corrigible and refractory to the last degree ; and the captain
said he knew they were such rogues that there was no obliging
them, and if he did carry them away, it must be in irons, as
malefactors, to be delivered over to justice at the first English .
colony he couid come to; and I found that the captain him--
self was very anxious about it. Upon this, I told him that, if
he desired it, I would undertake to bring the two men he spoke
of to make it their own request that he should leave them upon
the island. “I should be very glad of that,” says the captain,
“with all my heart.” “ Well,” says I, “I will send for them ap,
and talk with them for you.” So I caused Friday and the two
hostages, for they were now discharged, their comrades having
performed their promise ; I say, I caused them to go to the
cave, and bring up the five men, pinioned as they were, to the
bower, and keep them there till I came. After some time, I
came thither dressed in my new habit ; and now I was called
governor again. Being all met, and the captain with me, I
caused the men to be brought before me, and I told them I had
got a full account of their villanous behavior to the captain, and
how they had run away with the ship, and were preparing to
commit further robberies, but that Providence had ensnared
them in their own ways, and that they were fallen into the pit
which they had dug for others. I let them know that by my
direction the ship had seen seized ; that she lay now in the
road ; and they might see by and by, that their new captain had
received the reward of his villany, and that they would see him
hanging at the yard-arm ; that, as to them, I wanted to know
what they had to say why I should not execute them as pirates,
taken in the fact, as by my commission they could not doubt
but I had authority so to do.
One of them answered in the name of the rest, that they had
‘nothing to say but this—that when they were taken, the captain
promised them their lives, and they humbly implored my mercy.
But I told them I knew not what mercy to show them ; for as
for myself, I had resolved to quit the island with all my men,
and had taken passage with the captain to go for England ; and
as for the captain, he could not carry them to England, other
than as prisoners in irons, to be tried for mutiny, and running
away with the ship ; the consequence of which, they must needs
know, would be the gallows ; so that I could not tell what was
best for them, unless they had a mind to take their fate in the
island, If they desired that, as I had libcrty to leave the island,
I had some inclination to give them their lives if they thought
they could shift on shore. ‘hey seemed very thankful for it,