could, and then before any of them
saw me, I called aloud to them in Spanish, What are ye gentlemen?

They started up at the noise, but were ten times more confounded when
they saw me, and the uncouth figure that I made. They made no answer at
all, but I thought I perceived them just going to fly from me, when I
spoke to them in English, gentlemen, said I, do not be surprized at me;
perhaps you may have a friend near you when you did not expect it. He
must be sent directly from Heaven then, said one of them very gravely to
me, and pulling off his hat at the same time to me, for our condition is
past the help of man. All help is from Heaven, sir, said I. But can you
put a stranger in the way how to help you, for you seem to me to be in
some great distress? I saw you when you landed, and when you seemed to
make applications to the brutes that came with you, I saw one of them
lift up his sword to kill you.

The poor man with tears running down his face, and trembling, looking
like one astonished, returned, am I talking to God, or man! Is it a real
man, or an angel! Be in no fear about that, sir, said I, if God had sent
an angel to relieve you, he would have come better cloathed, and armed
after another manner than you see me in; pray lay aside your fears, I am
a man, an Englishman, and disposed to assist you, you see; I have one
servant only; we have arms and ammunition; tell us freely, can we serve
you?--What is your case?

Our case, said he, sir, is too long to tell you, while our murtherers
are so near; but in short, sir, I was commander of that ship, my men
have mutinied against me; they have been hardly prevailed on not to
murther me, and at last have set me on shore in this desolate place,
with these two men with me; one my mate, the other a passenger, where we
expected to perish, believing the place to be uninhabited, and know not
yet what to think of it.

Where are those brutes, your enemies, said I, do you know where they are
gone? There they lye, sir, said he, pointing to a thicket of trees; my
heart trembles, for fear they have seen us, and heard you speak, if they
have, they will certainly murther us all.

Have they any fire-arms, said I, he answered they had only two pieces,
and one which they left in the boat. Well then, said I, leave the rest
to me; I see they are all asleep, it is an easy thing to kill them all;
but shall we rather take them prisoners? He told me there were two
desperate villains amon