Page 432 - Child's own book

JlOniNSGN CRUSOK.

which he did. The next day T set him to heat out some com,
and sift i t ; and in a little time Friday was able to do all the
work for me, as well as i could do it myself. In short, this
was the pleasantest year I bad kd in the island ; for as my
man began to talk pretty well, I had some use for my tongue
again. From this time I had a mind to venture over to
Friday’s Island, and sec if I could possibly join those bearded
men, whotn he had spoken of to me, not doubting but ire
might find some means of escaping from thence.
I was now entering into the 27th year of my captivity, and
intended booij to set sail; when one morning I bade Friday go
to the sea-shore to see if he could find a turtle; but he had not
long been gone, when he came running hack, and cried, “ O
master! 0 sorrow*! O bad!hP 4t W hat’s the matter, Friday?’ said
1 , “ O yonder there,7’ said he,t( one, two, three, canoe! one,
two, three ! f' “ Well, Friday/’ said I* u do not be frightened.”
I then took my perspective glass, and went up the side of the
hill, when 1 saw twenty-one savages, throe prisoners, and three
canoes. 1 Wle him see what they were doing he did so, and
told me that they were all about the fire, eating the flesh of one
o f thiir prisoners ; and that a bearded man lay bound upon the
sand, whom he said they would kill next. 1 had not a moment
to lose, fo r two had stooped down to untie the Christian, in order
to murder him. *' Now/’ said I* 1,1 Friday, do as you see me
do." I laid the muskets down, and took one ; and then we
loth fired. Three were killed, and five wounded. The rest
jumped up immediately on their feet; hut knew not where to
run, 1 resolved to pursue them, and ran to the canoe, calling
Friday to follow me ; but I was no sooner in the eanoe, than I
found another poor creature lying there alive, bound hand and
foot. 1 immediately cut the twisted flags; and seeing that he
had been bound eo tight that he was almost dead, 1 gave him a