Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 16 — page 23: what you’re looking at

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«4 riobinson Crusoe. ee eee ee oe 23 -_-— there, which was a bottle of brandy, another of rum, a few biscuit cakes, a horn of powder, and a great lump (f sugar, in a piece of canvas; the sugar was five or &x ounds ; all which was very welcome to me, especial y randy and sugar, of which I had had none left fiu many years. When we had carried all these things on shore (tie oars, mast, sail, and rudder of the boat, were carried aws before), we knocked a great hole in her bottom, that they had come strong enough to master us, yet they could not carry off the boat. ’ Indeed, it was not mndh in my thoughts, that we could be capable to recover the ship; but my view was, that if they went away without the boat, I did not much ques. tion to make her fit again to carry us away to the Lee ward Islands, and call upon our friencs, the Spaniards, in my way; for I had them still in my thoughts. While we were thus preparing our designs, and had first, by main strer gth, heaved the boat bon the beach, so high that the tide would not float ker off at high-water mark, and besides had broken a hole in her bottom too big to be quickly stopped, and were sat down mnsing whit we should do, we heard the ship fire a gun, and saw her make a waft with her ensign, 4s a signal for the hoat to come on board; but no boat stirred, and they fire¢ several times, making yther signals for the boat. At last, when all the signals and firings proved fruitless, aud they found the boat did not stir, we saw them (by the help of my glasses) hoist another boat ont, and row towards the shore; and we found, as they approached, that there were no less than ten men in her, and that they had fire-arms with them, As the ship lay almost two leagues from the shore, we had a full view of them as they came, and a plain sight ef the men, even of their faces; because the tide having set them a little to the east of the other boat, they rowed oP under shore, to come to the same place where the other had landed, and where the boat lay. By this means, I say, we had a full view of them, and the captain knew the persons and characters of all the men in the boat, of whom he said that there were three very honest fellows, who, he was sure, were led into this conspiracy by the rest, being overpowered and frighted, But that as for the boatswaiu, who, it seems, was the chief officer among them, and all the rest, they were as outrageous as any of the ship’s crew; and were, no doubt, made desperate in their new enterprise; and terribly apprehensive he was that they would be too powerful for us. J,smiled at him, and told him that men in our circum- stances were past the operations of fear; that seeing almost every condition that could be, was better than that which we were supposed to be in, we ought to ex- ect that the consequence, whether death or life, would e sure to beadeliverance. Iasked him what he thought of the circumstances of my life, and whether a deliverance were not worth venturing for, ‘And where, sir,’’ said i, ‘*is your belief of m et ee here on purpose to save your life, which elevated you a little while ago? For my part, there seems to be but one thing amiss in all the prospect of it.” ‘‘ What's that?” said he. ‘“Why,” said I, ‘‘'tis that, as you say, there are three or four honest fellows among them, which should be spared ; had they been all of the wicked part of the crew, I should have thought God's providence had singled them ont, to deliver them into your hands; for, depend upon it, every man of them that comes ashore is our own, and shall die or live, a3 he behaves to us,’’ Ag I spoke this with a raised voice and cheerful coun- tenance, I found it greatly encouraged him; 80 we set vigorously to our business. We had, upon the first appearance of the boat's coming from the ship, considered of separating our prisoners, and had indeed secured them effectually. Two of them, of whom the captain was less assured than ordinary, I sent with Friday, and one of the three delivered men, to my cave, where they were remote enough, and out of danger of being heard or discovered or of finding their way out of the woods, if they could have delivered themselves, Here they left them bound, but gave them provisions, and pronfised them, if they continued there quietly, to give them their liberty Ina day or two; but that if they attempted their escape, the should be put to death without mercy. They promis faithfully to bear their confinement with povionen and were very thankful that they had such good usage, as to have provisions and a light left them; for Friday gave them candles (such as we made,oureelves) for their com- fort; and they did not know but that he stood sentinel m at the entrance. The other risoners had better usage; two of them were pinioned indeed, because the captain was not free to trust them: but the other two were taken into my service, upon their captain’s recommendation, and upon their solemnly engaging to live and die with us; 80, with them and the three honest men, we were seven men, well armed; and I made no doubt we should be able to deal well enough with the ten that were a coming, considerin that the captain bad said there were three or four hones men among them also. As soon as they got to the place where their other boat lay, they ran their boat in to the beach, and came all on shore, hauling the boat Bp after them, which I was glad to see; for I was afraid they would rather have left the boat at an anchor, some distance from the shore, with some hands in her to guard her; and so we should not be able to seize the boat. Being on shore, the first thing they did, they ran all to the other boat ; and it whs easy to see they were under a great surprise, to find her stripped, as above, of all that wus in her, and a hole in her bottom. After they had mused awhile upon we th or three great shouts, hallooing with all their might, to try if they conld make their companions hear; but it was all to no purpose. Then they came all close in a ring, and fired a volley of their small-arms, which indeed we heard, and the echoes made the woods ring; but it was all one; those in the cave we were sure could not hear, and those in our keeping, though they heard it well enough, yet durst give no answer to them. set ye two They were so astonished at the surprise of this, that, as | they told us afterwards, they resolved to go all on board @gain to their ship. and let them know there, that the | men were all murdered, and the long-boat staved: ac cordingly, they immediately launched their boat again, and got all of them on board. The captain was terribly amazed, and even confounded at this, manenne they would go on board the ship again, and set sail, giving their comrades up for lost, and so he should still lose the ship, which he was in hopes he shoutd have recovered: Dut he was quickly as mucb oe the other ays hey had not long been put off with the boat, but we perceived them all coming on shore again; but with this new measure in their conduct, which, it seems, they con sulted together upon; viz., to leave three men in the boat. managed the business with the rest, t by hallooing and answering, from one hill to another, and from one wood to another, till they not only heartily tired them, but left them where they were, very sure they could not reach back before it was dark : and indeed they were heartily tired themselves also by the time they got Lack to us. only to yreld, but afterwards to join very sincerely with us In the meantime, Friday and the 9 Ne = . bees at they drew them, We had nothing now to do but to watch for themi the dark, and to fall upon them, so as to make sure wor with them. t was several hours after Friday came back to me be- fore they came back to their boat ; and we conld hear the foremost of them, long before they came up, calling to and the rest to go on shore, and go up into the country, ‘those behind to come along, and couid also hear them to look for their fellows. answer, and comolain how lame and tired they were, and This was a great disappointment to us: for now we|not able *o come any faster, which was very welcome a were at a loss to know w seven men on shore would be no advantage to us, if we let the boat escape, because they would then row away to the ship; and then the rest of them would be sure to weigh, and set sail, and so our hope of recovering the EP would be lost, However, we had no remedy but to wait and see what the issue of things might present. The seven men came on shore, and the three who remained in the boat, put her off to a good distance from the shore, and came to an anchor to Wait for them, so that it was impossible for us to come at them in the boat, Those that came oh shore kept close together, march- ing towards the top of a little hill, under which my habi- tation lay ; and we could see them plainly, though the could not perceive us. Wecould have been very lad they would have come nearer to us, so that we might have fired at them; or that they would have gone farther off, that we night have come abroad. But when they were come to the brow of the hill, where they could see a great way into the valleys and woods, which lay towards the north-east part, and where the island lay lowest, they shouted and hallooed till they were weary; and not caring, it seems, to venture far from the shore, nor far from one another, they sat down together under a tree, to consider it. Had they thought fit to have gone to sleep there, as the other party of them had done they had done the job for us: but they were too full of apprehensions of danger to venture to goto sleep, though of could not tell what the danger was they had to feay neither. The captain made a very just Spe to me upon thi consultation of theirs, viz., that perhaps they would a. fire a volley again, to endeavor to make their fellows hear, and that we should all sally upon them, just at the juncture when their pieces were all discha ed, and they would sone yield, and we should have them without bloodshed, I liked the proposal, provided it were done while we were near enough to come up with them before they could load their pieces again. ut this event did not happen, and we lay still a a time, very irresolute what course to take: at iength told him there would be nothing to be done in my opinion till night; and then, if they did not return to the boat perhaps we might find a way to get between them and e shore, and 80 might use some stratagem with them the boat, to get them on shore. We waited a great while, though very impatient for their removing, and were very uneasy; when, after long consultations, we saw them all start up, and march down towards the sea. It seems they had such dreadful appre- hensions upon them of the danger of the place, that they resolved to go on board the ship again, give their com- panions over for lost, and so go on with their intended be with the ship. 8 soon as I perceived them go towards the shore, I imagined it to be as it really was, that they had given over the search, and were for going back again; and the captain, as soon as I told him my thoughts, was ready to at to do; for our seizing those | news to us. At length they came up to the boat; but it is impos- givie to express their confusion when they found the boat fast aground in the creek, the tide ebbed out, and their two men gone. We could hear them Call to one another, in the most lamentable manner, telling one another they were gotten into an enchanted island: that either there were inhabitants in it, and they should all be murdered or else there were devils or spirits in it, and they should all be carried away and devoured. , They hallooed again, and called their two comrades by their namesa great many times, but no answer. After eome time we could see them, by the Jitule light there was, running about wringing their hands, like men in despair; and that sometimes they would go and sit down in the boat to rest themselves, then come ashore again, ead walk abont again, and do the sate thing over agai My men would fain have me give them leave to f upon them at once in the dark: but I was willing to take them at some advantage, 80 to apate them, and kil as few of them as I could: and especially as I was unwilling to hazard the killing ony of our men, knowing the others were very well armed, resolved to wait to see if they did not separate: and therefore, to make sure of the I drew my ambuscade nearer, and ordered Friday an the captain to creep upon their haads and feet, as close to the ground as. they could, that they might not be dis- vine 8 and get as near them as they possibly could before they offered to fire. They had not been long in that posture, when the boatswain, who was the principal ringleader of the mu- tiny, and had now shown himself the most dejected and dispirited of all the rest, came walking towards them, with two more of their crew. The captain was so er at heving the principal rogue so much in his power, t at he cowld hardly have patience to let him come 80 near as to be eure of him; for they only heard his tongue before: but when they came nearer, the captain and Friday, starting upon their feet, let fly at them. The boatswain was killed upon the spot ; the next man was shot in the body, and fell just by him, though he did not die till an hour or two after; and the third ran for it. At the noise of the fire, I immediately advanced with my whole army, which was now eight men, viz., myself, eneralissimo; Friday, my lieutenant-general; the cap- Aoatg and his two men; and the three prisoners of war, whom we had trusted with arms. We came upon them indeed in the dark, so that er could not see our number; and I made the man they left in the boat, who was now one of us, to call them by name, to try if I could bring them to a parley, and 80 might perhaps reduce them to terms, which fell out just as we desired: for indeed it was easy to think, as their condition then was, they would be very willing to capitu- late. So he called out, as loud as he could. to one of them, “Tom Smith! Tom Smith!” Tom Smith answered im mediately, ‘* Who's that? Rebireon ?”’ for it eeems le knew his voice. The other answered, “Aye, aye; ter sink at the apprehensions of it: but I presently thought | God’s sake, Tom Smi ih our arms, and of a stratagem to fetch them back agua: and which an-| yield: or you are dead than thie, Bnet ; swered my end to a tittle. “Whom must we yield to? Where are they?” says I ordered Friday, and the captain's mate, to go overthe | Smith, again. ‘‘Here they are,” says he, ‘“ Here fs our little creek westward, towards the place where the sav- | captain, and fifty men with him, have been hunting you ages came on shore when Friday was rescued, and as 8¢0rs| this two hours. The boatswain is killed, Will Frye is as they came to a little risin mile’s distance, I bade them halloo as loud as they ect] and wait till they found the seamen heard them ; that as soon as they heard the seamen answer them, they should return it again, and then keeping out of sight, take a round, always answering when the others halicoed, to draw them as far into the island and among the wouds ae possible; and then wheel about again to me, by stch ways as I directed. ey were he oing into the boat when Friday anc the mate hallooed, an ice presently heard them, an answering, ran along the shore westwarc, towards the voice they heard, when vou § were presently stoy ped by the creek, where, the water being tp, they could not get vver, and called for the boat to cvme up, ard set thes over, as indeed } exnected. When they had set themselves over, [ observed that the ground, at about half a | wounded, and Iam a prisoner; and if you do not yield, you are all lost.”’ ‘Will they give us quarter then,” says Tom Smith, “and we will yield.” ‘I'll go and ask, if you promise to yield,” says Robinson, So he asked the captain, and the captain himself then calls out, “You. Smith, you know my voice; if you lay down your arms iinmediately, _ submit, you shall have your lives, all but Will At ns. Upon this, Will Atkins cried out, “For God's sake, captain, give me quarter! What have I done? They have all been as bad as I!” which, by the way, was not true, neither; for it seems this Will Atkins was the first man that laid hold of the captain, when they first mut.nied, and nsed him erbarouaie in tying his hands. and giving him injurious language. However, the captain told him he must lay down his arms at discretion, and trust to the boat being gone up a 000 way into the creek, and, as it}Governor’s mercy ; for they all called me Goveravr. were, ina harbor within the land aor took one of the three men out of her to go along with t In a word, they all laid down their arms, and be em, and !eft only|their lives; and I sent the man that had parleyed with two in the boat, having fastened her to the stump of althem, and two more, who bound them all: and then my little tree on tne shore. This was what I wished for; and immediately leavin Friday and the captain’s mate to their business, I took reat army of fifty men, which, particularly with those three, were in all but eight, came up and seized upon them all, and upon their boat, only that I kept myself, and one the rest with me, and crossing the creek ont of their sight,|more out of sight, for reasons of state. we surprised the two men before they were aware, one of Our next work was to repair the boat, and to think of them lying on shore, and the other being in the boat: the|seizing the ship; and as for the captain, now he had sellow on shore was between sleeping and waking, andjleisure to parley with them, he expostulated with them going to start up, the captain, who was fcremost, ran injupon the villainy of their practices with him, and at apon him, and knocked him down, and then called out |length, upon the farther wickedness of their derign; and % him in the boat to yield, or h dead man. There neaded very fe d, or he was a man to yield, when he saw five men upon him, and his comrade knocked down: besides, this was, it seems, one |their lives. how cervuinly it must bring them to misery and distress Ww arguments to persuade & rg in the end, and perhaps to the gallows. They all d yery penitent, and begged hard for i ae for thats he. told them they were none of of the three who were not so hearty in the mutiny as the |his prisoners, but the commander's of the island; that reat of the crew. and therefore was easily persuaded not |they thought that they had set him on shore in a barren, COMMIUCGL VOC) <S me ee ee ee ee (EO) Oe ew 8 we ewe ee ee wee Cee - ST ee A ES ee ee ee . +t Se os 4th & *§ Be om Se SE Se oe Se a 8 eee a Se es ee es is a