s for
that, he told them they were none of his prisoners, but the commander's
of the island; that they thought they had set him on shore in a barren
uninhabited island; but it had pleased God so to direct them, that the
island was inhabited, and that the governor was an Englishman: that he
might hang them all there, if he pleased; but as he had given them all
quarter, he supposed he would send them to England, to be dealt with
there as justice required, except Atkins, whom he was commanded by the
governor to advise to prepare for death; for that he would be hanged in
the morning.

Though this was all a fiction of his own, yet it had its desired effect.
Atkins fell upon his knees to beg the captain to intercede with the
governor for his life; and all the rest begged of him for God's sake,
that they might not be sent to England.

It now occurred to me, that the time of our deliverance was come, and
that it would be a most easy thing to bring these fellows in to be
hearty in getting possession of the ship; so I retired in the dark from
them, that they might not see what kind of a governor they had, and
called the captain to me: when I called, as at a good distance, one of
the men was ordered to speak again, and say to the captain, "Captain,
the commander calls for you;" and presently the captain replied, "Tell
his excellency I am just a-coming." This more perfectly amused them; and
they all believed that the commander was just by with his fifty men.

Upon the captain's coming to me, I told him my project for seizing the
ship, which he liked wonderfully well, and resolved to put it in
execution the next morning.

But, in order to execute it with more art, and to be secure of success,
I told him we must divide the prisoners, and that he should go and take
Atkins, and two more of the worst of them, and send them pinioned to the
cave where the others lay: this was committed to Friday, and the two men
who came on shore with the captain.

They conveyed them to the cave, as to a prison; and it was indeed a
dismal place, especially to men in their condition.

The others I ordered to my bower, as I called it, of which I have given
a full description; and as it was fenced in, and they pinioned, the
place was secure enough, considering they were upon their behaviour.

To these in the morning I sent the captain, who was to enter into a
parley with them; in a word, to try them, and tell me, whether he
thought they might be trus