ome."

I jumped up, and, regardless of danger, I went out 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 eyes to the sea, I presently saw a boat at
about a league and a half's distance, standing in for the shore, with a
shoulder of mutton sail, as they call it, and the wind blowing pretty
fair to bring them in. Also I observed presently, that they did not come
from that side which the shore lay on, but from the southernmost end of
the island. Upon this I called Friday in, and bid him be close, for
these were not the people we looked for, and that we did not know yet
whether they were friends or enemies.

In the next place, I went in to fetch my perspective glass, to see what
I could make of them; and having taken the ladder out, I climbed up to
the top of the hill, as I used to do when I was apprehensive of any
thing, and to take my view the plainer without being discovered.

I had scarce set my foot on the hill, when my eye plainly discovered a
ship lying at an anchor, at about two leagues and a half's distance from
me, S.S.E. but not above a league and a half from the shore. By my
observation it appeared plainly to be an English ship, and the boat
appeared to be an English long-boat.

I cannot express the confusion I was in, though the joy of seeing a
ship, and one whom I had reason to believe was manned by my own
countrymen, and consequently friends, was such as I cannot describe; but
yet I had some secret doubts hung about me, I cannot tell from whence
they came, bidding me keep upon my guard. In the first place, it
occurred to me to consider what business an English ship could have in
that part of the world; since it was not the way to or from any part of
the world where the English had any traffic; and I knew there had been
no storms to drive them in there, as in distress; and that if they were
English really, it was most probable that they were here upon no good
design; and that I had better continue as I was, than fall into the
hands of thieves and murderers.

Let no man despise the secret hints and notices of danger, which
sometimes are given him when he may think there is no possibility of its
being real. That such hints and notices are given us, I believe few that
have made any observation of things can