or a fortnight's
time to open the dock, and launch out our boat. I was busy one morning
upon something of this kind, when I called to Friday, and bid him to go
to the sea-shore and see if he could find a turtle or a tortoise, a thing
which we generally got once a week, for the sake of the eggs as well as
the flesh. Friday had not been long gone when he came running back, and
flew over my outer wall or fence, like one that felt not the ground or
the steps he set his foot on; and before I had time to speak to him he
cries out to me, "O master! O master! O sorrow! O bad!"--"What's the
matter, Friday?" says I. "O yonder there," says he, "one, two, three
canoes; one, two, three!" By this way of speaking I concluded there were
six; but on inquiry I found there were but three. "Well, Friday," says
I, "do not be frightened." So I heartened him up as well as I could.
However, I saw the poor fellow was most terribly scared, for nothing ran
in his head but that they were come to look for him, and would cut him in
pieces and eat him; and the poor fellow trembled so that I scarcely knew
what to do with him. I comforted him as well as I could, and told him I
was in as much danger as he, and that they would eat me as well as him.
"But," says I, "Friday, we must resolve to fight them. Can you fight,
Friday?" "Me shoot," says he, "but there come many great number." "No
matter for that," said I again; "our guns will fright them that we do not
kill." So I asked him whether, if I resolved to defend him, he would
defend me, and stand by me, and do just as I bid him. He said, "Me die
when you bid die, master." So I went and fetched a good dram of rum and
gave him; for I had been so good a husband of my rum that I had a great
deal left. When we had drunk it, I made him take the two fowling-pieces,
which we always carried, and loaded them with large swan-shot, as big as
small pistol-bullets. Then I took four muskets, and loaded them with two
slugs and five small bullets each; and my two pistols I loaded with a
brace of bullets each. I hung my great sword, as usual, naked by my
side, and gave Friday his hatchet. When I had thus prepared myself, I
took my perspective glass, and went up to the side of the hill, to see
what I could discover; and I found quickly by my glass that there were
one-and-twenty savages, three prisoners, and three canoes; and that their
whole business seemed to be the triumphant banquet upon these three human