第83章

With this Resolution I enter'd the Wood，and with all possible Waryness and Silence，Friday following close at my Heels，I march'd till I came to the Skirt of the Wood，on the Side which was next to them；only that one Corner of the Wood lay between me and them；here I call'd softly to Friday，and shewing him a great Tree，which was just at the Corner of the Wood，I bad him go to the Tree，and bring me Word if he could see there plainly what they were doing；he did so，and came immediately back to me，and told me they might be plainly view'd there；that they were all about their Fire，eating the Flesh of one of their Prisoners；and that another lay bound upon the Sand，a little from them，which be said they would kill next，and which fir'd all the very Soul within me；he told me it was not one of their Nation；but one of the bearded Men，who he had told me of，that came to their Country in the Boat：I was fill'd with Horror at the very naming the white-bearded Man，and going to the Tree，I saw plainly by my Glass，a white Man who lay upon the Beach of the Sea，with his Hands and his Feet ty'd，with Flags，or Things like Rushes；and that he was an European，and had Cloaths on.

There was another Tree，and a little Thicket beyond it，about fifty Yards nearer to them than the Place where I was，which by going a little way about，I saw I might come at undiscover'd，and that then I should be within half Shot of them；so I with-held my Passion，though I was indeed enrag'd to the highest Degree，and going back about twenty Paces，I got behind some Bushes，which held all the way，till I came to the other Tree；and then I came to a little rising Ground，which gave me a full View of them，at the Distance of about eighty Yards.

I had now not a Moment to loose；for nineteen of the dreadful Wretches sat upon the Ground，all close huddled together，and had just sent the other two to butcher the poor Christian，and bring him perhaps Limb by Limb to their Fire，and they were stoop'd down to untie the Bands，at his Feet；I turn'd to Friday，now Friday，said I，do as I bid thee；Friday said he would；then Friday，says I，do exactly as you see me do，'fail in nothing；so I set down one of the Muskets，and the Fowling-Piece，upon the Ground，and Friday did the like by his；and with the other Musket，I took my aim at the Savages，bidding him do the like；then asking him，If he was ready？ He said，yes，then fire at them，said I；and the same Moment I fir'd also.

Friday took his Aim so much better than I，that on the Side that he shot，he kill'd two of them，and wounded three more；and on my Side，I kill'd one，and wounded two：They were，you may be sure，in a dreadful Consternation；and all of them，who were not hurt，jump'd up upon their Feet，but did not immediately know which way to run，or which way to look；for they knew not from whence their Destruction came：Friday kept his Eyes close upon me，that as I had bid him，he might observe what I did；so as soon as the first Shot was made，I threw down the Piece，and took up the Fowling-Piece，and Friday did the like；he see me cock，and present，he did the same again；Are you ready，Friday？ said I；yes，says he；let fly then，says I，in the Name of God，and with that I fir'd again among the amaz'd Wretches，and so did Friday；and as our Pieces were now loaden with what I call'd Swan-Shot，or small Pistol Bullets，we found only two drop；but so many were wounded，that they run about yelling，and skreaming，like mad Creatures，all bloody，and miserably wounded，most of them；whereof three more fell quickly after，though not quite dead.

Now Friday，says I，laying down the discharg'd Pieces，and taking up the Musket，which was yet loaden；follow me，says I，which he did，with a great deal of Courage；upon which I rush'd out of the Wood，and shew'd my self，and Friday close at my Foot；as soon as I perceiv'd they saw me，I shouted as loud as I could，and bad Friday do so too；and running as fast as I could，which by the way，was not very fast，being loaden with Arms as I was，I made directly towards the poor Victim，who was，as I said，lying upon the Beach，or Shore，between the Place where they sat，and the Sea；the two Butchers who were just going to work with him，had left him，at the Suprize of our first Fire，and fled in a terrible Fright，to the Sea Side，and had jump'd into a Canoe，and three more of the rest made the same way；I turn'd to Friday，and bid him step forwards，and fire at them；he understood me immediately，and running about forty Yards，to be near them，he shot at them，and I thought he had kill'd them all；for I see them all fall of a Heap into the Boat；though I saw two of them up again quickly：However，he kill'd two of them，and wounded the third；so that he lay down in the Bottom of the Boat，as if he had been dead.