280 LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF

resolved, if there had been a hundred of them, to attack them :
but that could not be done, for they were some of them two
miles off from the other, and, as it appeared afterwards, were of
two different nations.

After having mused a great while on the course they should
take, they resolved at last, while it was. still dark, to send the
old savage, Friday's father, out as a spy, to learn, if possible,
something concerning them, as what they came for, what they
intended to do, and the like. The old man readily undertook
it; and stripping himself quite naked, as most of the savages
were, away he went. After he had been gone an hour or two,
he brings word that he had been among them undiscovered,
that he found they were two parties, and of two several nations,
who had war with one another, and had a great battle in their
own country ; and that both sides having had several prisoners
taken in the fight, they were, by mere chance, landed all on the
same island, for the devouring their prisoners and making
merry; but their coming so by chanee to the same place had
spoiled all their mirth—that they were ina great rage at one
another, and were so near that he believed they would fight
again as soon as daylight began to appear; but he did not per-
ecive that they had any notion of anybody being on the island
but themselves. He had hardly made an end of telling his story,
when they could perecive, by the unusual noise they made, that
the two little armies were engaged in a bloody fight. Friday's
father used all the arguments he could to persuade our people
to lie close, and not be seen; he told them their safety con-
sisted in it, and that they had nothing to do but lie still, and the
savages would kill one another to their hands, and then the rest
would go away; and it was so to a tittle. But it Was impos-
sible to prevail, especially upon the Englishmen ; their curiosity
Was so importunate that they must run out and see the battle.
However, they used some caution too : they did not go openly,
just by their own dwelling, but went farther into the woods, and
placed themselves to advantage, where they might securely see
them manage the fight, and, as they thought, not be seen by
them; but the savages did see them, as we shall find hereafter.

The battle was very fierce, and, if I might believe the
Englishmen, one of them said he could perceive that some of
them were men of great bravery, of invincible spirit, and of
great policy in guiding the fight. The battle, they said, held
two hours before they could guess which party would be
beaten; but then that party which was nearest our people’s
habitation began to appear weakest, and after some time more