savage that he would in no way injure, fight with, or attack the
person he should find in the island, who was so kind as to send for them
in order to their deliverance; but that they would stand by him and
defend him against all such attempts, and wherever they went would be
entirely under and subjected to his command; and that this should be put
in writing, and signed in their hands. How they were to have done this,
when I knew they had neither pen nor ink, was a question which we never
asked. Under these instructions, the Spaniard and the old savage, the
father of Friday, went away in one of the canoes which they might be said
to have come in, or rather were brought in, when they came as prisoners
to be devoured by the savages. I gave each of them a musket, with a
firelock on it, and about eight charges of powder and ball, charging them
to be very good husbands of both, and not to use either of them but upon
urgent occasions.

This was a cheerful work, being the first measures used by me in view of
my deliverance for now twenty-seven years and some days. I gave them
provisions of bread and of dried grapes, sufficient for themselves for
many days, and sufficient for all the Spaniards--for about eight days'
time; and wishing them a good voyage, I saw them go, agreeing with them
about a signal they should hang out at their return, by which I should
know them again when they came back, at a distance, before they came on
shore. They went away with a fair gale on the day that the moon was at
full, by my account in the month of October; but as for an exact
reckoning of days, after I had once lost it I could never recover it
again; nor had I kept even the number of years so punctually as to be
sure I was right; though, as it proved when I afterwards examined my
account, I found I had kept a true reckoning of years.

It was no less than eight days I had waited for them, when a strange and
unforeseen accident intervened, of which the like has not, perhaps, been
heard of in history. I was fast asleep in my hutch one morning, when my
man Friday came running in to me, and called aloud, "Master, master, they
are come, they are come!" I jumped up, and regardless of danger I went,
as soon as I could get my clothes on, through my little grove, which, by
the way, was by this time grown to be a very thick wood; I say,
regardless of danger I went without my arms, which was not my custom to
do; but I was surprised when, turning my