ask if he knew where he was. He took a look
round him, and soon, with a clap of the hands, said "O yes! O there! O
yes! O there!" Bye and bye, he set up a dance with such wild glee, that
it was as much as I could do to keep him on deck. "Well, what think you,
Friday?" said I; "shall we find those whom we left still here?--Shall we
see poor old Jaf?" He stood quite mute for a while, but when I spoke
of old Jaf (whose son Friday was), the tears ran down his face, and the
poor soul was as sad as could be. "No, no," said he, "no more, no, no
more."

As we caught sight of some men at the top of the hill, I gave word to
fire three guns, to show that we were friends, and soon we saw smoke
rise from the side of the creek. I then went on shore in a boat, with
the priest and Friday, and hung out a white flag of peace. The first man
I cast my eyes on at the creek, was my old friend Carl, who, when I was
last on the isle, had been brought here in bonds.

I gave strict charge to the men in the boat not to go on shore, but
Friday could not be kept back, for with his quick eye he had caught
sight of old Jaf. It brought the tears to our eyes to see his joy when
he met the old man. He gave him a kiss, took him up in his arms, set
him down in the shade, then stood a short way off to look at him, as one
would look at a work of art, then felt him with his hand, and all this
time he was in full talk, and told him, one by one, all the strange
tales of what he had seen since they had last met.

As to my friend Carl, he came up to me, and with much warmth shook my
hands, and then took me to my old house, which he now gave up to me. I
could no more have found the place, than if I had not been there at all.
The rows of trees stood so thick and close, that the house could not be
got at, save by such blind ways as none but those who made them could
find out. "Why have you built all these forts?" said I. Carl told me
that he felt sure I should say there was much need of them, when I heard
how they had spent their time since they had come to the isle.

He brought twelve men to the spot where I stood, and said, "Sir, all
these men owe their lives to you." Then, one by one, they came up to me,
not as if they had been the mere crew of a ship, but like men of rank
who had come to kiss the hand of their king.

The first thing was to bear all that had been done in the isle since I
had left it. But I must first state that, when we were on the point to