298 ROBINSON CRUSOE.

When the Spanish governor heard this, he calls to Will
Atkins, “ How, Seignior Atkins, would you murder us all?
What have you to say to that?” The hardened villain was so
far from denying it, that he said it was true, and swore they
would do it still before they had done with them. “ Well, but,
Seighior Atkins,” says the Spaniard, “‘what have we done to
you, that you would kill us? And what would you get by kill-
ing us? And what must we do to prevent your killing us?
Must we kill you, or you kill us? Why will you put us to the
necessity of this, Seignior Atkins?” says the Spaniard very
calmly, and smiling. Seignior Atkins was in such a rage at the
Spaniard’s making a jest of it, that, had he not been held by
three men, and withal had no weapon near hin, it was thought
he would have attempted to kill the Spaniard in the middle of
all the company. ‘This hair-brain carriage obliged them to
consider seriously what was to be done ; the two Englishmen,
and the Spaniard who saved the poor savage, were of the opinion
that they should hang one of the three, for an example to the
rest, and that particularly it should be he that had twice at-
tempted to commit murder with his hatchet ; and, indeed, there
was some reason to believe he had done it, for the poor savage
was in such a miserable condition with the wound he had
received, that it was thought he could not live. But the gover-
nor Spaniard still said no; it was an Englishman that had
saved all their lives, and he would never consent to put an
Englishman to death, though he had murdered half of them,—
nay, he said if he had been killed himself by an Englishman, and
had time left to speak, it should be that they should pardon him,

This was so positively insisted on by the governor Spaniard,
that there was no gainsaying it; and as merciful counsels are
most apt to prevail, where they are so earnestly pressed, so
they all came into it ; but then it was to be considered what
should be done to keep them from doing the mischief they de-
signed ; for all agreed, governor and all, that means were to
be used for preserving the society from danger. After a long
debate, it was agreed, first, that they should be disarmed, and
not permitted to have either gun, powder, shot, sword, or any
weapon ; and should be turned out of the society, and left to
live where they would, and how they would, by themselves ; but
that none of the rest, either Spanish or English, should converse
with them, speak with them, or have anything to do with them ;
that they should be forbid to come within a certain distance of
the place where the rest dwelt ; and if they offered to commit
any disorder, so as to spoil, burn, kill, or destroy any of the