202 LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF

mutinied against me; they have been hardly prevailed on not
to murder me, and, at last, have set me on shore in this desolate
place, with these two men with me—one my mate, the other a
passenger—where we expected to perish, believing the place to
be uninhabited, and know not yet what to think of it.’ « Where
are these brutes, your enemies?” said I; “do you know where
they are gone?” “There they lie, sir,” said he, pointing toa
thicket of trees; “my heart trembles for fear they have seen us
and heard you speak ; if they have, they will certainly murder
us all.” “ Have they any firearms?” said I. He answered,
“They had only two pieces, one of which they left in the boat.”
“Well, then,” said I, “leave the rest to me; I see they are all
asleep ; it is an easy thing to kill them all; but shall we rather
take them prisoners?” He told me there were two desperate
villains among them that it was scarce safe to show any mercy
to; but if they were secured, he believed all the rest would
return to their duty. I asked him which they were. He told
me he could not at that distance distinguish them, but he would
obey my orders in anything I would direct, Well,” says I,
“let us retreat out of their view or hearing, lest they awake,
and we will resolve further.” So they willingly went back with
me, till the woods covered us from them.

“Look you, sir,” said I, “if I venture upon your deliverance,
are you willing to make two conditions with me?” He antici.
pated my proposals by telling me that both he and the ship, if
recovered, should be wholly directed and commanded by me in
everything; and if the ship was not recovered, he would live
and die with me in what part of the world soever I would send
him; and the two other men said the same. ‘ Well,” says I,
“my conditions are but two; first, that while you stay in this
island with me, you will not pretend to any authority here; and
if I put arms in your hands, you will, upon all occasions, give
them up to me, and do no prejudice to me or mine upon this
island, and in the meantime be governed by my orders ; secondly,
that if the ship is or may be recovered, you will carry me and
my man to England passage free.”

He gave me all the assurances that the invention or faith of
man could devise that he would comply with these most reason-
able demands, and besides would owe his life to me, and ac-
knowledge it upon all occasions as long as he lived. “Well,
then,” said I, “here are three muskets for you, with powder and
ball; tell me next what you think is proper to be done.” He
showed all the testimonies of his gratitude that he was able, but
offered to be wholly guided by me. I told him I thought it was