第64章

I was now in my twenty third Year of Residence in this Island，and was so naturaliz'd to the Place，and to the Manner of Living，that could I have but enjoy'd the Certainty that no Savages would come to the Place to disturb me，I could have been content to have capitulated for spending the rest of my Time there，even to the last Moment，till I had laid me down and dy'd，like the old Goat in the Cave. I had also arriv'd to some little Diversions and Amusements，which made the Time pass more pleasantly with me a great deal，than it did before；as First，I had taught my Poll，as I noted before，to speak；and he did it so familiarly，and talk'd so articulately and plain，that it was very pleasant to me；and he liv'd with me no less than six and twenty Years：How long he might live afterwards，I know not；though I know they have a Notion in the Brasils，that they live a hundred Years；perhaps poor Poll may be alive there still，calling after Poor Robin Crusoe to this Day. I wish no English Man the ill Luck to come there and hear him；but if he did，he would certainly believe it was the Devil. My Dog was a very pleasant and loving Companion to me，for no less than sixteen Years of my Time，and then dy'd，of meer old Age；as for my Cats，they multiply'd as I have observ'd to that Degree，that I was oblig'd to shoot several of them at first，to keep them from devouring me，and all I had；but at length，when the two old Ones I brought with me were gone，and after some time continually driving them from me，and letting them have no Provision with me，they all ran wild into the Woods，except two or three Favourites，which I kept tame；and whose Young when they had any，I always drown'd；and these were part of my Family：Besides these，I always kept two or three houshold Kids about me，who I taught to feed out of my Hand；and I had two more Parrots which talk'd pretty well，and would all call Robin Crusoe；but none like my first；nor indeed did I take the Pains with any of them that I had done with him. I had also several tame Sea-Fowls，whose Names I know not，who I caught upon the Shore，and cut their Wings；and the little Stakes which I had planted before my Castle Wall being now grown up to a good thick Grove，these Fowls all liv'd among these low Trees，and bred there，which was very agreeable to me；so that as I said above，I began to be very well contented with the Life I led，if it might but have been secur'd from the dread of the Savages.

But it was otherwise directed；and it may not be amiss for all People who shall meet with my Story，to make this just Observation from it，vis. How frequently in the Course of our Lives，the Evil which in it self we seek most to shun，and which when we are fallen into it，is the most dreadful to us，is oftentimes the very Means or Door of our Deliverance，by which alone we can be rais'd again from the Affliction we are fallen into. I cou'd give many Examples of this in the Course of my unaccountable Life；but in nothing was it more particularly remarkable，than in the Circumstances of my last Years of solitary Residence in this Island.

It was now the Month of December，as I said above，in my twenty third Year；and this being the Southern Solstice，for Winter I cannot call it，was the particular Time of my Harvest，and requir'd my being pretty much abroad in the Fields；when going out pretty early in the Morning，even before it was thorow Day-light，I was surpriz'd with seeing a Light of some Fire upon the Shore，at a Distance from me，of about two Mile towards the End of the Island，where I had observ'd some Savages had been as before；but not on the other Side；but to my great Affliction，it was on my Side of the Island.

I was indeed terribly surpriz'd at the Sight，and stepp'd short within my Grove，not daring to go out，least I might be surpriz'd；and yet I had no more Peace within，from the Apprehensions I had，that if these Savages in rambling over the Island，should find my Corn standing，or cut，or any of my Works and Improvements，they would immediately conclude，that there were People in the Place，and would then never give over till they had found me out：In this Extremity I went back directly to my Castle，pull'd up the Ladder after me，and made all Things without look as wild and natural as I could.

Then I prepar'd my self within，putting my self in a Posture of Defence；I loaded all my Cannon，as I call'd them；that is to say，my Muskets，which were mounted upon my new Fortification，and all my Pistols，and resolv'd to defend my self to the last Gasp，not forgetting seriously to commend my self to the Divine Protection，and earnestly to pray to God to deliver me out of the Hands of the Barbarians；and in this Posture I continu'd about two Hours；but began to be mighty impatient for Intelligence abroad，for I had no Spies to send out.

After sitting a while longer，and musing what I should do in this Case，I was not able to bear sitting in Ignorance any longer；so setting up my Ladder to the Side of the Hill，where there was a flat Place，as I observ'd before，and then pulling the Ladder up after me，I set it up again，and mounted to the Top of the Hill；and pulling out my Perspective Glass，which I had taken on Purpose，I laid me down flat on my Belly，on the Ground，and began to look for the Place；I presently found there was no less than nine naked Savages，sitting round a small Fire，they had made，not to warm them；for they had no need of that，the Weather being extreme hot；but as I suppos'd，to dress some of their barbarous Diet，of humane Flesh，which they had brought with them，whether alive or dead I could not know.