I began afterwards to be more sedate in my mind, being satisfied that I might go abroad with safety all the time of the tide of flood, if they were not on shore before. Having made this observation, I went abroad about my harvest-work with the more composure.

As I expected, so it proved; for as soon as the tide made to the westward, I saw them all take boat, and row (or paddle, as we call it) away. I should have observed, that for an hour or more before they went off, they went a-dancing. I could easily discern their postures and gestures by my glass. I could not perceive, by my nicest observation, but that they were naked, and had not the least covering upon them.

As soon as I saw them shipped and gone, I took two guns upon my shoulders, and two pistols in my girdle, and my great sword by my side, without a scabbard; and with all the speed I was able to make, went away to the hill where I had discovered the first appearance of all. As soon as I got thither, which was not in less than two hours (for I could not go apace, being so laden with arms as I was), I perceived there had been three canoes more of savages at that place; and looking out further, I saw they were all at sea together, making over the main. This was a dreadful sight to me, especially as, going down to the shore, I could see the marks of horror which the dismal work they had been about had left behind it, namely, the blood, the bones, and part of the flesh of human bodies eaten by those wretches with merriment and sport. I was so filled with indignation at the sight, that I now began to pre

meditate the destruction of the next that I saw there, let them be whom or how many soever. It seemed evident to me that the visits that they made thus to this island were not very frequent; for it was above fifteen months before any more of them came on shore there again.

CRUSOE SAVES FRIDAY.

I was surprised one morning early with seeing no less than five canoes all on shore together, on my side of the island, and the people who belonged to them all landed, and out of my sight. Seeing so many, and knowing that they always came four, or six, or sometimes more, in a boat, I could not tell what to think of it, or how to take my measures, to attack twenty or thirty men single-handed; so I lay still in my castle, perplexed and discomforted. However, I put myself into all the same posture for an attack that I had formerly provided, and was just ready for action, if anything had presented.

Having waited a good while, listening to hear if they made any noise, at length, being very impatient, I set my guns at the foot of my ladder, and clambered up to the top of the hill, by my two stages, as usual; standing so, however, that my head did not appear above the hill, so that they could not perceive me. Here I observed, by the help of my perspective glass, that the savages were no less than thirty in number; that they had a fire kindled; and that they had meat dressed. How they had cooked it I knew not, or what it was; but they were all dancing, in I know not how many barbarous gestures and figures, their own way, round the fire.

While I was thus looking on them, I perceived two miserable wretches dragged from the boats, where, it seems, they had been laid by, and were now brought out for the slaughter. I perceived one of them immediately fall, being knocked down, I suppose, with a club, or wooden sword, (for that was their way ;) while the other victim was left standing by himself, till they should be ready for him. At that very moment this poor wretch, seeing himself a little at liberty, and unbound, nature inspired him with hopes of life, and he started away from them, and ran with incredible swiftness along the sands, directly towards me,-I mean, towards that part of the coast where my habitation was.

I was dreadfully frightened, I must say, when I saw him run my way, and especially when, as I thought, I saw him pursued by the whole body. However, I kept my station, and my spirits began to recover when I found that there were not above three men that followed him: and still more was I encouraged when I found that he outstripped them in running; so that, if he could but hold on for half an hour, I saw easily he would fairly get away from them all.

There was between them and my castle the creek, which I mentioned often in the first part of my story, where I landed my cargoes out of the ship. This I saw plainly he must necessarily swim over, or the poor wretch would be taken there. But when he came thither, he made nothing of it, though the tide was then up, but, plunging in, swam through in thirty strokes or thereabouts, landed, and ran on with exceeding strength and swiftness.

When the three pursuers came to the creek, I

found that two of them could swim, but the third could not, and that, standing on the other side, he looked at the others, but went no further, and soon after went softly back again; which, as it happened, was very well for him in the end. I observed that the two who swam were yet more than twice as long in swimming over the creek as the fellow had been that fled from them.

It came now very strongly upon my thoughts, and indeed irresistibly, that now was the time to get me a servant, and perhaps a companion or assistant, and that I was called plainly by Providence to save this poor creature's life. I immediately ran down the ladder with all possible expedition, fetched my two guns, for they were both at the foot of it, as I observed above, and getting up again, with the same haste, to the top of the hill, I crossed toward the sea, and having a very short cut, and all down hill, placed myself in the way between the pursuers and the pursued.

I then hallooed to him that fled, who, looking back, was at first, perhaps, as much frightened at me as at them; but I beckoned with my hand to him to come back. In the meantime, I slowly advanced towards the two that followed; then rushing at once upon the foremost, I knocked him down with the stock of my gun. I was loath to fire, because I would not have the rest hear; though, at that distance, it would not have been easily heard; and being out of sight of the smoke too, they would not have easily known what to make of it.

Having knocked this fellow down, the other pursuer stopped, as if he had been frightened, and I advanced apace towards him. But as I came nearer, I

perceived presently that he had a bow and arrow, and was fitting it to shoot at me: so I was then necessitated to shoot at him first; which I did, and killed him at the first shot.

The poor fugitive had now stopped; but though he saw both his enemies fallen and killed, as he thought, yet he was so frightened with the fire and noise of my gun that he stood stock-still, and neither came forward nor went backward, though he seemed rather inclined still to flee than to come on. I hallooed again, and made signs to him to come forward; which he easily understood, and came a little way, then stopped again; and then a little further, and stopped again. I could then perceive that he stood trembling, as if he had been taken prisoner, and were just about to be killed, as his two enemies had been. I beckoned to him again to come to me, and gave him all the signs of encouragement that I could think of. He came nearer and nearer, kneeling down every ten or twelve steps, in token of acknowledgment for having saved his life. I smiled at him, and looked pleasantly, and beckoned to him to come still nearer. At length he came close to me, and then he kneeled down again, kissed the ground, and laid his head on it, and, taking me by the foot, set my foot upon his head. This, it seems, was in token of swearing to be my slave for ever.

I took him up, and made much of him, and encouraged him all I could... .. I carried him, not to my castle, but away to my cave on the further part of the island. Here I gave him bread and a bunch of raisins to eat, and a draught of water, which I found he was indeed in great distress