e.

From this time, all went well with me for two years; but it was not to
last. One day, as I stood on the hill, I saw six boats on the shore!
What could this mean?

Where were the men who had brought them? And what had they come for? I
saw through my glass that there were a score and a half, at least, on
the east side of the isle. They had meat on the fire, round which I
could see them dance. They then took a man from one of the boats, who
was bound hand and foot; but when they came to loose his bonds, he set
off as fast as his feet would take him, and in a straight line to my
house.

To tell the truth, when I saw all the rest of the men run to catch him,
my hair stood on end with fright. In the creek, he swam like a fish, and
the plunge which he took brought him through it in a few strokes. All
the men now gave up the chase but two, and they swam through the creek,
but by no means so fast as the slave had done. Now, I thought, was the
time for me to help the poor man, and my heart told me it would be right
to do so. I ran down my steps with my two guns, and went with all speed
up the hill, and then down by a short cut to meet them.

I gave a sign to the poor slave to come to me, and at the same time went
up to meet the two men, who were in chase of him. I made a rush at the
first of these, to knock him down with the stock of my gun, and he fell.
I saw the one who was left, aim at me with his bow, so, to save my life,
I shot him dead.

The smoke and noise from my gun, gave the poor slave who had been bound,
such a shock, that he stood still on the spot, as if he had been in a
trance. I gave a loud shout for him to come to me, and I took care to
show him that I was a friend, and made all the signs I could think of to
coax him up to me. At length he came, knelt down to kiss the ground, and
then took hold of my foot, and set it on his head. All this meant that
he was my slave; and I bade him rise, and made much of him.

But there was more work to be done yet; for the man who had had the blow
from my gun was not dead. I made a sign for my slave (as I shall now
call him) to look at him. At this he spoke to me, and though I could
not make out what he said, yet it gave me a shock of joy; for it was the
first sound of a man's voice that I had heard, for all the years I had
been on the isle.

The man whom I had struck with the stock of my gun, sat up; and my
slave, who was in great fear of him, made signs for me to len