s bow from his back, and, fixing and arrow to it,
was preparing to shoot at me, and, without dispute, might have lodged
the arrow in my breast; but, in this absolutely necessary case of self
preservation, I immediately fired at him, and shot him dead, just as his
hand was going to draw the fatal string. All this while, the savage who
had fled before stood still, and had the satisfaction to see his enemies
killed, as he thought, who designed to take away his life; so affrighted
was he with the fire and noise of my piece, _that he stood as it were
like Lot's wife, fixed and immoveable, without either sense or motion_.
This obliged me to halloo to him again, making the plainest signs I
could to him to draw nearer. I perceived he understood those tokens by
his approaching to me a little way, when, as is afraid I should kill him
too, he stopped again. Several times did he advance, as often stop in
this manner, till coming more, to my view, I perceived him trembling, as
if he was to undergo the same fate. Upon which I looked upon him with a
smiling countenance, and still beckoning to him, at length he came close
to me and kneeled down, kissed my hand, laid his head upon it, and
taking me by the foot, placed it upon his head; and this, as I
understood afterwards, was in token of swearing to be my slave for ever.
I took him up, and, making much of him, encouraged him in the best
manner I could. But my work was not yet finished; for I perceived the
savage whom I knocked down, was not killed, but stunned with the blow,
and began to come to himself, Upon which I pointed to my new servant,
and shewed him that his enemy was not yet expired, he spoke some words
to me, but which I could not understand; yet being the first sound of a
man's voice I had heard for above twenty-five years, they were very
pleasing to me. But there was no time for reflection now, the wounded
savage recovering himself so far as to sit upon the ground, which made
my poor prisoner as much afraid as before; to put him out of which fear,
I presented my other gun at the man, with an intent to shoot him; but my
savage, for so I must now call him, prevented my firing, by making a
motion to me, to lend him my sword, which hung naked in my belt by my
side. No sooner did I grant his request, but away he runs to his enemy,
and at one blow cut off his head as dextrously as the most accomplished
executioner in Germany could have done; for, it seems, these creatures
make use