im in such a manner as, no question, 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 murderous intent, or, to do justice to the
crime, 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.

But I leave observing, and return to the story: 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 tired of living in the
manner they did, that they were not handy enough to make the necessaries
they wanted; and that, having no help, they found they should be
starved; but if the Spaniards would give them leave to take one of the
canoes which they came over in, and give them arms and ammunition
proportioned for their defence, they would go over to the main, and seek
their fortune, and so deliver them from the trouble of supplying them
with any other provisions.

The Spaniards were glad enough to be rid of them; but yet very honestly
represented to them the certain destruction they were running into; told
them they had suffered such hardships upon that very spot, that they
could, without any spirit of prophecy, tell them that they would be
starved or murdered, and bade them consider of it.

The men replied audaciously, they should be starved if they stayed here,
for they could not work, and would not work; and they could but be
starved abroad; and if they were murdered, there was an end of them,
they had no wives or children to cry after them; and, in short, insisted
importunately upon their demand, declaring that they would go, whether
they would give them any arms or no.

The Spaniards told them with great kindness, that if they were resolved
to go, they should not go like naked men, and be in no condition to
defend themselves, and that though they could ill spare their fire-arms,
having not enough for themselves, yet they would let them have two
muskets, a pistol, and a cutlass, and each man a hatchet, which they
thought sufficient for them.

In a word, they accepted the offer, and having baked them bread enough
to serve them a month, and given them as much goat's flesh as they could
eat while it was sweet, and a great basket full of dried grapes, a pot
full of fresh water, and a