de of the hill, and then lifted up, and placed
again from the first stage up to the top: so that when the ladder was
taken down, nothing but what had wings or witchcraft to assist it could
come at them. This was excellently well contrived: nor was it less than
what they afterwards found occasion for, which served to convince me,
that as human prudence has the authority of Providence to justify it, so
it has doubtless the direction of Providence to set it to work; and if we
listened carefully to the voice of it, I am persuaded we might prevent
many of the disasters which our lives are now, by our own negligence,
subjected to.

They lived two years after this in perfect retirement, and had no more
visits from the savages. They had, indeed, an alarm given them one
morning, which put them into a great consternation; for some of the
Spaniards being out early one morning on the west side or end of the
island (which was that end where I never went, for fear of being
discovered), they were surprised with seeing about twenty canoes of
Indians just coming on shore. They made the best of their way home in
hurry enough; and giving the alarm to their comrades, they kept close all
that day and the next, going out only at night to make their observation:
but they had the good luck to be undiscovered, for wherever the savages
went, they did not land that time on the island, but pursued some other
design.

CHAPTER IV--RENEWED INVASION OF SAVAGES

And now they had another broil with the three Englishmen; one of whom, a
most turbulent fellow, being in a rage at one of the three captive
slaves, because the fellow had not done something right which he bade him
do, and seemed a little untractable in his showing him, drew a hatchet
out of a frog-belt which he wore by his side, and fell upon the poor
savage, not to correct him, but to kill him. One of the Spaniards who
was by, seeing him give the fellow a barbarous cut with the hatchet,
which he aimed at his head, but stuck into his shoulder, so that he
thought he had cut the poor creature's arm off, ran to him, and
entreating him not to murder the poor man, placed himself between him and
the savage, to prevent the mischief. The fellow, being enraged the more
at this, struck at the Spaniard with his hatchet, and swore he would
serve him as he intended to serve the savage; which the Spaniard
perceiving, avoided the blow, and with a shovel, which he had in his hand
(for they were