rainy season came on, for want of a cave in the earth, they could not
keep their grain dry, and it was in great danger of spoiling. This
humbled them much: so they came and begged the Spaniards to help them,
which they very readily did; and in four days worked a great hole in the
side of the hill for them, big enough to secure their corn and other
things from the rain: but it was a poor place at best compared to mine,
and especially as mine was then, for the Spaniards had greatly enlarged
it, and made several new apartments in it.

About three quarters of a year after this separation, a new frolic took
these rogues, which, together with the former villainy they had
committed, brought mischief enough upon them, and had very near been the
ruin of the whole colony. The three new associates began, it seems, to
be weary of the laborious life they led, and that without hope of
bettering their circumstances: and a whim took them that they would make
a voyage to the continent, from whence the savages came, and would try if
they could seize upon some prisoners among the natives there, and bring
them home, so as to make them do the laborious part of the work for them.

The project was not so preposterous, if they had gone no further. But
they did nothing, and proposed nothing, but had either mischief in the
design, or mischief in the event. And if I may give my opinion, they
seemed to be under a blast from Heaven: for if we will not allow a
visible curse to pursue visible crimes, how shall we reconcile the events
of things with the divine justice? It was certainly an apparent
vengeance on their crime of mutiny and piracy that brought them to the
state they were in; and they showed not the least remorse for the crime,
but added new villanies to it, such as the piece of monstrous cruelty of
wounding a poor slave because he did not, or perhaps could not,
understand to do what he was directed, and to wound him in such a manner
as made him a cripple all his life, and in a place where no surgeon or
medicine could be had for his cure; and, what was still worse, the
intentional murder, for such to be sure it was, as was afterwards the
formed design they all laid to murder the Spaniards in cold blood, and in
their sleep.

The three fellows came down to the Spaniards one morning, and in very
humble terms desired to be admitted to speak with them. The Spaniards
very readily heard what they had to say, which was this: that they were