or no to go on board and surprise the ship. He
talked to them of the injury done him, of the condition they were
brought to, and that though the governor had given them quarter for
their lives as to the present action, yet that if they were sent to
England, they would all be hanged in chains, to be sure; but that if
they would join in so just an attempt as to recover the ship, he would
have the governor's engagement for their pardon.

Any one may guess how readily such a proposal would be accepted by men
in their condition; they fell down on their knees to the captain, and
promised, with the deepest imprecations, that they would be faithful to
him to the last drop, and that they should owe their lives to him, and
would go with him all over the world; that they would own him as a
father as long as they lived. "Well," says the captain, "I must go and
tell the governor what you say, and see what I can do to bring him to
consent to it." So he brought me an account of the temper he found them
in, and that he verily believed they would be faithful. However, that we
might be very secure, I told him he should go back again and choose out
those five, and tell them, that they might see he did not want men, that
he would take out those five to be his assistants, and that the
governor would keep the other two, and the three that were sent
prisoners to the castle (my cave) as hostages for the fidelity of those
five; and that if they proved unfaithful in the execution, the five
hostages should be hanged in chains alive on the shore. This looked
severe, and convinced them that the governor was in earnest: however,
they had no way left them but to accept it; and it was now the business
of the prisoners, as much as of the captain, to persuade the other five
to do their duty.

Our strength was now thus ordered for the expedition: first, The
captain, his mate, and passenger: second, Then the two prisoners of the
first gang, to whom, having their character from the captain, I had
given their liberty, and trusted them with arms: third, The other two
that I had kept till now in my bower pinioned, but, on the captain's
motion, had now released: fourth, These five released at last: so that
they were twelve in all, besides five we kept prisoners in the cave
for hostages.

I asked the captain if he was willing to venture with these hands on
board the ship: but as for me and my man Friday, I did not think it was
proper for us to stir, having s