Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 16 — page 22: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

22 and appeared concerned indeed, but not to such a de- gree as the first. I was confounded at the sight, and knew well what the meaning of it should be. reo called out to me, in English, as well as he could, ‘‘ Oh, master, you see mans eat prisoners as well as savage mans,”’ “Why,” said I, ‘** Friday, do you think they are going to eat them then?’ ‘ Yes,” says Friday, ‘‘they will eat. them.’’ ‘No, no,”’ said I, ** Friday: I am atraid the will marder them, indeed ; but you may be sure they will not eat them.” | All this while I had no thought of what the matter really was, but stood trembling with the horror of the sight, expecting every moment wheu the three prisoners should be killed; nay, once I saw one of the villains ii(t up hie arm, with a great cutlass (as the seamen call it or sword, to strike one of the poor men; and I expecte to see him fall every noment, at which all the blood in S| body seemed to run chill in my veins. wished heartily now for my Spaniard, and the savage that was gone with him; or that I had any way to have come undiscovered within shot of them, that I might have rescued the three men; for I saw no fire-arms they had among them: but it fell out to my mind another way. After I had observed the outrageous usage of the three mon, by the Insolent seamen, I observed the fellows ran scattering about the land, as if they wanted to see the country. I observed also, that the three other men had liberty to go where they pleased ; but they sat down al] three upon the ground very pensive, and looked like men in despair. This put me in mind of the first time when I came on shore, and began to look about me: how I gave my- self over for lost, how wildly I looked around me, what dreadful apprehensions I had, and how I lodged in the tree all night, for fear of being devoured by wild beasts. As I knew nothing that night of the suppiy I was to receive, by the providential driving of the’ ship nearer the land, by the storms and tide, by which I have since been so long nourished and supported; so these three poor, desolate men, knew nothing how certain of deliv- erance and supply they were, how near it was to them, and how effectually and really they were in a dition of safety, at the same time as they thought t selves jost,.and their case desperate. So little do we see before us in the world, and so much reason have we to depend cheerfully upon the great Maker of the world, that he does not leave his creatures eo absolutely destitute, but that in the worst circum- etances they have always something to be thankful for, und are sometimes nearer their deliverance than they imagine ; nay, are even brought to their deliverance by the means which they seem to be brought to their de- struction. It was juet at the top of bigh-water when these people came on shore, and partly while they stood prleying with the prisoners they brought, and partly while they rambled about to see what kind of a place they were in, they had carelessly staid till the tide was spent, and the water was ebbed considerably away, leaving their boat aground. A They had left two men in the boat, who, as I found af- terwards, having drunk a little too much brandy, fell asicep. However, one of them waking sooner than the other, and finding the boat too fast aground for him to stir it, hallooed for the rest, who were straggling about, npon which they all soon came to the boat; but it was ast all their etrength to launch her, the boat being ba eavy, and the shore on that side being a soft, oozy san almost like a quicksand. In this condition, like true seamen, who are, perhaps, the least of all mankind given to forethought, they gave it over, and away they strolled about the country again; and I heard one ao wie to another (calling them off from the boat), * Why, let her alone, Jack, can’t ye? She'll float next tide.’ By which I was fully confirmed in the main inquiry, of what countrymen they were. All this while I Kept myself close, not once daring to stir out of my castle any farther than to my place of ob- servation, near the top of the hill; and very glad I was to think how well it was fortified. I knew it was no less than ten hours before the boat could be afloat again, and by that time it would be dark. and I might be more at berty to see their motions, and to hear their discourse, if they had any. In the meantime, I fitted myself up for a battle, as be- fore, though with more caution, knowing I had to do with another kind of enemy than [ had at tirst. I ordered Friday ulso, whom I had made an excellent marksman with hie gun, to load himself with arms. I took myself two fowling-pieces, and I gave him three muskets. My ficure indeed was very fierce: I had my formidable goat- skin coat on, with the great cap I mentioned, a naked awora by my side, two pistols in my belt, and a gun apo:: eacb shoulder. t was my design, as I said above, not to have made any ettempt till it was dark; but about two o'clock, belny the heat of the day, I found, that, in short, the were all gone straggling into the woods, and, as seadle,s Half-Dime Library. thought, were all laid down to sleep. The three poor distressed men, too anxious for their condition to get any sleep, were, however, set down under the shelter of & great tree, at about a quarter of a mile from me, and as I thought, out of sight of any of the rest. Upon this, I resolved to discover*myself to them, and learn something of their condition. Immediately |] marched, in the figure above; my man Friday at a good distance behind me, as formidable for his arms as I yay not making quite so staring a spectre-like figure as id. I canfe as near them undiscovered as I could, and then, before any of them saw me, I called aloud to them, in Spanish: ‘* What are ye, geutiemen?”’ They started up at the sound, but were ten times more confounded when they saw me, and the uncouth figure that I made. They made me no answer at all, but I thought I perceived them just going to fly from me, when Is os to them in English: ‘‘ Gentlemen,”’ said I, ‘‘d not be surprised at me: perhaps you may have a frien near you, when you do not expect it.”’ ‘“‘He must be sent directly from Heaven, then,’’ said one of them, very gravely to me, and pulling off his hat at the same time; ‘for our condition is past the help of man.”’ ‘All hely is from Heaven, sir,”’ said I. **‘ But can you put a strange in the way how to Dep Fon ; for you seem to me to be in some great distress? 1 saw you when you landed; and when you seemed to make application to the brutes that came with you, I saw one of them lift up his sword to) && kill you.” The poor man, with tears running down his face, and| ' trembling, looking like one astonished, returned, ‘* Am I talking to God, or man? Is it a real man, or an angel ?”’ ‘*Be in no fear about that, sir,’ said I. “If God had sent an angel to relieve you, he would have come better clothed, and armed after another manner, than you see me. Pray lay aside your fears: Iam a man, an English- man, and disposed to assist you, you see. I have one servant, only; we have arms and ammunition, Tell us freely: can we serve opk What is your case ?”’ ‘Our case, sir,”’ said he, ‘is too long to tell yon, while our murderers are so near; but, in short, sir, 1 was ccm mander of that ship; my men having mutinied against me, they have been har ly prevailed on not to murde me, and, at last, have set meon sbore 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 tc think of it.” ‘‘ Where are those brutes, your enemies?’ said L “Do you know where they are gone?’’ ‘* There they are, sir,’’ said he, pointing to a 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 fire-arms?’’ said I. He answered, they had only two pieces, and one which they left in the boat. ‘* Well, then,” said I, “leave the rest tome. Isee they are all asleep. It is an easy thing te kill them all: but shall we rather take them prisoners?’’ He told me there were two desperate villaius 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. Lasked him which they were. He told me he could not at that distance describe them; but he would obey om orders in anything I would direct, ‘* Well,” said I, ‘‘le us retreat out of their view or hearing, lest they awake: and we will resolve farther.”’ So cg! willingly went back with me, till the woods covered us from them, ‘** Look you, sir,’’ said I, ‘if I venture upon your deliv. erance, are you willing to make two conditions with me ?”’ | He anticipated 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 pot 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,” said I, * my conditions are but two: first, that while you stay on this island with me, you will not peg to apy authority here; and if I putarms into your nda, you will, upon all occasions, give them up to me, sud dono pre) udice to me or mine, upon this island ; and, in the mean time, 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 tha: the invention and f&ith of a man could devise, that he would gees with these mest reasonable demands; and, besides, would owe his sife to me, and acknowledge it upon all occasions as wane 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 testimony of his gratitude that he was able; but offered to be wholly guided by me. I told him I thought it was hard ventur- ing anything, but the best method I could thiak of, was to fire npen them at once, as the Nay and if any were uot killed at the first volley, and offered to submit, we might save them, and so put it wholly upon God's provi- dence to direct the shot. He said very modestly, that he was loath to kill them, if he could help it; but that those two were incorrigii RR RR ole villains, and had been the authors of all the mutiny in the ship ; and if they escaped, we should be undone still; for they would go on board ant bring the whole ship's com- pany, ani destroy usall. ‘ Well, then,” said I, “ neces- sity levitimates my advice; for it is the only way to save our lives.”’ However, seeing him still cautious of shed- ding blood, I told him they should go themselves, and manage as they found convenient. In the middle of this discourse, we heard some of them awake, and soon after we saw two of them on their feet. {asked him if either of them were the men, who, he had said, were the heads of the mutiny. He said, ** No.” ‘Well, then,’’ said I, ‘“‘ you may let them escape, and Providence seems to have wakened them on purpose to save themselves. Now,” said I, “if the rest escape you, it is your fault.” Animated with this, he took the musket I had given aim in his hand, and a pistol in his belt, and his two comrades with him, with each mana piece in his hand. The two men who were with him, going first, made some noise, at which one of the seamen, who was awake, turned about, and, seeing them coming, cried out to the rest; but it was too late then, for the moment he cried out, they fired, I mean the two men, the captain wisely reserving his own piece. They had so well aimed their shot at the men they Knew, that one of them was killed on the spot, and the other very munch wounded; but not being dead, he started up upon his feet, and called cagerly for help to the other; but the Sg seg stepping to hi told him it was too late to cry for help, he should ca upon God to forgive his villainy, and, with that word, te AK 4 % ‘5 \e¥e “7 - 2 Coe , > WED “>> SOS Re 3 a knocked him down with the stock of his musket, so that he never spoke more, There were three more iu the ¢com- pany, and one of them was also slightly wounded. By this time I was come: and when they saw their danger, nnd that it was in vain to resist, they begged for mercy, Che captain told them he would spare their lives, if they would give him any assurance of their abhorrence of the treachery they had been guilty of, arid would swear to be faithfa to him in recovering the ship, aad afterwards ‘a carrying her bask to Jamaica, from whence they came, They gave him all the protestations of their sincerity that could be desired, and he was willing to helieve them, and spare their lives, which I was not against; only I obligec him to keep at bound, hand and foot, while they were upon the island. While this was doing, I sent Friday, with the captain’s mate, to the boat, with orders to secure her, and bring away the oars and sail, which they did; and, by-the-by three straggling men, that were (happily for them) parted from the rest, came back, upon hearing the guns fired ; and seeing their captain, who was before their prisoner, now their conqueror, they submitted to be bound, also; and so our victory was complete. It now remained that the captain and I should inquire into one another's circumstances. I began first, and told him my whole history, which he heard with an attention even to amazement, and pe pecs at the wonderful manner of my being furnished with provisions and am- munition; and, indeed, as my story is a whole collection of wonders, itaffected him deeply ; but when he reflected from thence upon himself, and how I seemed to have been preserved there on purpose to save his life, the tears ran down his face, and he could not speak a word more, After this communication was at an end, [carried him, and his two men, into my apartment, leading them in i where I came out, viz., at the top of the house, where refreshed them with such provisions as I had, and showed them all the contrivances I had made, during my long, long, inhabiting that place. All I showed them, all I said to them, was perfectly amazing ; but, above all, the captain admired my fortifi- cation, and how perfectly I had concealed my retreat with a grove of trees, which, having been now planted near twenty years, and the trees growing much faster than in England, was become a little wood, and so thick that it was impassable in any part of it, but at that one side where I had reserved my little winding pas into it. This, I told him, was my castle and my residence; but that I had a seat in the country, as most princes have, whither I could retreat upon occasion, and I would show him that, too, another time; but, at coger our business was to consider how to recover the ship. He agreed with me as to that; but told me, he was perfectly at a loss what measures to take, for that there were still six-and- twenty hands on board, who, having entered into a cursed conspiracy, by which they had all forfeited their lives to the law, would be hardened in it now by despe- ration, and would oy ld it on, knowing that if they were reduced, they should be brought to the gallows as soon as they came to England, or to any of the English colo- nies; and that therefore there would be no attacking them with so small a number as we were. I mused for some fime upon what he had said, and found it was a very rational conclusion; and that thei e- fore something was to be resolved on very speedily, is well to draw the men on board into some snare for the tr surprise, as to prevent their landing upon us and destrg f- ing us. Upon this it presently occurred to me, that, in a little while, the ship’s crew, wondering what was becotie of their comrades, and of the boat, would certainly conse on shore in their other boat, to see for them; and thit then, perhaps, they might come armed, and be too strorg for us ; this, he allowed, was rational, Upon this I told him the first thing we had to do wus to stave the boat, which lay upon the beach, so that thc: might not carry her off; and taking everything out ( her, leave her 80 far useless as not to be fit to swita. Accordingly we went on board, took the arms whith were left on board out of her and whatever else we fou: d EGOmicdooks co