ROBINSON CRUSOB 443

behoid, by a cloud of dust they raised, we saw an enemy was
at hand ; and they were at hand, indeed, for they came on
upon the spur,

The Chinese, our guard in the front, who had talked so
big the day before, began to stagger; and the soldiers fre-
quently looked behind them, which is acertain sign in a soldier
that he is just ready to run away. My old pilot was of my
mind; and being near me, called out, “ Seignior Inglese,”
says he, “ those fellows must be encouraged, or they will ruin
us all; for if the Tartars come on they will never stand it.”
“Tam of your mind,” said I; “but what must be done?”
“Done!” says he; “let fifty of our men advance, and flank
them on each wing, and encourage them; and they will fight.
like brave fellows in brave company ; but without this, they ~
- will every man turn his back.” Immediately, I rode up to out
leader, and told him, who was exactly of our mind ; and ac.
cordingly fifty of us marched to the right wing, and fifty to the
left, and the rest made a line of rescue; and so we marched,
leaving the last two hundred men to make a body by them:
selves, and to guard the camels ; only that, if need were, they
should send a hundred men to assist the last fifty.

In a word, the Tartars came on, and an innumerable com-
pany they were ; how many we could not tell, but ten thousana,
we thought, was the least ; a party of them came on first, and
viewed our posture, traversing the ground in the front of our
line ; and, as we found them within gun-shot, our leader o2-
dered the two wings to advance swiftly, and give them a salvo
on each wing with their shot, which was done ; and they went
off, I suppose back, to give an account of the reception they

re like to meet with ; and, indeed, that salute cloyed their
Stomachs, for they immediately halted, stood awhile to consider
of it, and wheeling off to the left, they gave over their design,
and said no more to us for that time ; which was very agree-
able to our circumstances, which were but very indifferent for
a battle with such a number.

Two days after, we came to the city of Naun, or Naum;
we thanked the governor for his care of us, and collected to
the value of a hundred crowns, or thereabouts, which we gave
to the soldiers sent to guard us ; and here we rested one day.
This is a garrison indeed, and there were nine hundred soldiers
kept here: but the reason of it was, that formerly the Musco-
vite frontiers lay nearer to them than they now do, the Mus-
covites having abandoned that part of the country, which lies
from tis city west for about two hundred ‘miles, as desolate »