The Eerie Adventures of the Lycanthrope Robinson Crusoe (23 page)

When the settled season began to come in, as the thought of my design returned with the fair weather, I was preparing daily for the voyage. The first thing I did was to lay by a certain quantity of provisions, being the stores for our voyage. I intended in a week or a fortnight's time to open the dock and launch out our boat. I was busy one after noon upon something of this kind, when I called to Friday and bid him go to the sea-shore and see if he could find a tortoise, a thing which we generally got once a week, for the sake of the eggs as well as the flesh. Friday had not been long gone when he came running back and flew over my outer-wall like one that felt not the ground or the steps he set his feet on. Before I had time to speak to him, he cries out to me, "O master! O master! O sorrow! O bad!"

"What's the matter, Friday?" said I.

"O yonder, there," said he. "One, two, three canoe. One, two, three!"

"Well, Friday," said I, "do not be frightened." However, I saw the poor fellow was most scared, for nothing ran in his head but that they were come to look for him, and would cut him in pieces and eat him. The poor fellow trembled so I scarce knew what to do with him. I comforted him as well as I could, and told him I was in as much danger as he, and they would eat me as well as him. "But," said I, "Friday, we must resolve to fight them. Can you fight, Friday?!"

"Me shoot," said he. "But there come many great number."

"No matter," said I, again. "Our guns will fright them that we do not kill." So I asked him whether he would stand by me and do just as I bid him.

He said, "Me die when you bid die, master."

I went and fetched a good dram of rum. When he drank it, I made him take the two fowling-pieces, which we always carried. Then I took four muskets. My two pistols I loaded with a brace of bullets each. I hung my great sword naked by my side and gave Friday his hatchet and his wooden sword. When I had thus prepared myself, I took my perspective-glass and went up to the side of the hill to see what I could discover.

I found, by my glass, there were three canoes just reaching the south-west corner of the island, that place which I had named the dark church. There were no less than two dozen savages on board, tho' it was possible some of the figures were prisoners. They past from my sight as they reach'd the shore, yet I knew if they had made land at the dark church there could be only two purposes to this visit, viz. an awful feast of flesh, else more of their accursed rituals, and very possibly both.

This abhorrence of the inhuman errand these wretches came about fill’d me with such indignation, I came down again to Friday and told him I was resolv’d to go over to them and kill them all. I asked him again if he would stand by me. He told me, as before, he would die when I bid die.

In this fit of fury, I took and divided the arms which I had charged between us. I gave Friday one pistol to stick in his girdle and three guns upon his shoulder. I took one pistol and the other three guns myself. I took a small bottle of rum in my pocket and gave Friday a large bag with more powder and bullets. I charged him to keep close behind me, and not to stir or shoot or do any thing till I bid him. In the mean time, not to speak a word, and in this posture we set out at a run into the woods. My years on the island now served me well, for I knew each rock and tree and stump of the forest, and could run at a full pace with little noise. In a word, the beast itself would be impress'd if such a feeling were possible for it, tho' I did feel it within my skin, glorying in my own wild run the way it oft enjoy'd its own.

Friday, with his large feet and odd hunch, could not move with as little noise, but he did attempt it to his best and made a mighty effort to keep up.

While we were making this march, my former thoughts were returning, and I began to abate my resolution. I do not mean I entertained any fear of their number. As they were naked, unarmed wretches, it is certain I was superior to them. But it occurred to my thoughts, what occasion, much less what necessity, I was in to go and dip my hands in blood? It was true Friday might justify it, because he was a declared enemy, and in a state of war with those very particular people, and it was lawful for him to attack them, but I could not say the same with respect to myself. These things were so pressed upon my thoughts all the way as I went, I resolv’d I would only go and place myself near them that I might observe their barbarous feast and I would act then as God should direct.

It was at the moment of this resolution that Friday hissed and point'd up, and twixt the trees we saw a curl of black smoke rising up, for the savages had lit their fires by the great totem. We ran for yet another hour, till we came to the skirt of the wood on the side which was next to them, so only one corner of the wood lay between us and the area which I call'd the dark church.

There were one and twenty grey skinned savages, three prisoners, and three canoes. Their whole business seemed to be the triumphant banquet upon these three human bodies. A barbarous feast indeed, but nothing more than was usual with them. For now they twisted and bellowed around the fire and the totem, as was their way, and I could see that some among them were very monstrous and far more creatures than men, e'en for savages.

Here I call'd softly to Friday, and showing him a great tree which was just at the corner of the wood, I bade him go to the tree and bring me word if he could see there what they were doing. He did so and came back to me and told me they might be viewed there. They were all about their fire eating the flesh of one of their prisoners, and another lay bound upon the sand by the great totem, which, he said, they would kill next. He told me it was not one of their nation, but one of the bearded men he had told me of. I was fill’d with horror and, going to the tree, I saw by my perspective-glass a white man who lay upon the sand beneath the carv'd figure of the totem, with his hands and his feet tied with rushes. He was an European, and had cloathes on.

At this, whatever influence had clouded my mind with doubt was push'd away, and I resolv'd to kill them all. There was another tree, and a little thicket beyond it, about fifty yards nearer to them than the place where I was, which I saw I might come at undiscovered, and then I should be within half a shot of them. So I withheld my passion, tho’ I was indeed enraged to the highest degree, and going back about twenty paces, I got behind some bushes, and then came to a little rising ground which gave me a full view of them at the distance of about eighty yards.

I had now not a moment to lose, for nineteen of the dreadful wretches now sat upon the ground all close huddled together, and had just sent the other two to butcher the poor Christian, and bring him, perhaps, limb by limb, to their fire. They were stooping down to untie the bands at his feet while the most of them pounded on the ground as a huge drum, in a most off-putting way, while still braying their dark chants.

I turned to Friday. "Now, Friday," said I, "do as I bid thee."

He nodded.

"Do exactly as you see me do. Fail in nothing." I set down one of the muskets and the fowling-piece upon the ground, and Friday did the like by his. With the other musket I took my aim at the savages, bidding him to do the like.

I asked, "Are you ready?"

"Yes."

"Then fire at them," said I, and the same moment I fired also.

Friday took his aim so much better than I. He kill’d two of them and wounded three more. On my side, I kill’d one, tho' it was the most monstrous creature of them all, and wounded two.

They were, you may be sure, in a dreadful consternation. All of them who were not hurt jumped upon their feet, but did not know which way to run or which way to look.

Friday kept his eyes close upon me, that he might observe what I did. As soon as the first shot was made I threw down the piece and took up the fowling-piece, and Friday did the like. "Are you ready, Friday?"

"Yes."

"Let fly, then, in the name of God!" We fired again among the amazed wretches. As our pieces were now loaden with what I called swan-shot, or small pistol-bullets, we found only two drop, but so many were wounded they ran about roaring and screaming like mad creatures, all bloody, whereof three more fell after, tho’ not quite dead.

"Now, Friday," said I, laying down the discharged pieces and taking up the musket which was yet loaden, "follow me."

I rushed out of the wood and showed myself and Friday close at my foot. As soon as I perceived they saw me, I shouted as loud as I could and bade Friday do so too. Running as fast as I could, I made towards the poor victim. The two butchers had left him at the surprise of our first fire, fled in a terrible fright to the sea-side, and had jumped into a canoe. Three more of the rest made the same way. I turned to Friday and bade him fire at them. He understood, and running about forty yards, to be nearer them, he shot at them. I thought he had killed them all, for I saw them all fall of a heap into the boat, tho’ I saw two of them up again quickly.

While my man Friday fired at them, I pulled out my knife and cut the rushes that bound the poor victim. Loosing his hands and feet, I lifted him up and asked him in the Portuguese tongue what he was. He answered in Latin, but was so weak and faint he could scarce stand or speak. I took my bottle out of my pocket, and gave it him, making signs he should drink, which he did. I gave him a piece of bread, which he ate. Then I asked him what countryman he was and he said Espagniole. Being a little recovered, he let me know, by all the signs he could make, how much he was in my debt for his deliverance.

"Seignior," said I, with as much Spanish as I could make up, "we will talk afterwards, but we must fight now. If you have any strength left, take this pistol and sword, and lay about you."

He took them very thankfully. No sooner had he the arms in his hands but, as if they had put new vigour into him, he flew upon his murderers like a fury and had cut two of them in pieces in an instant.

I kept my piece in my hand still without firing, being willing to keep my charge ready, because I had given the Spaniard my pistol and sword. I called to Friday and bade him run up to the tree from whence we first fired and fetch the arms which lay there that had been discharged, which he did with great swiftness. Then giving him my musket, I sat down myself to load all the rest again, and bade them come to me when they wanted. While I was loading these pieces, there happened a fierce engagement between the Spaniard and one of the grey skinned savages who made at him with one of their wooden swords, the same-like weapon that was to have killed him before if I had not prevented it. The Spaniard, who was as bold and brave as could be imagined, had fought this creature a good while and had cut him two great wounds on his head. But the savage being a stout, lusty fellow had thrown him down, being faint, and was wringing my sword out of his hand. The Spaniard, wisely quitting the sword, drew the pistol from his girdle, shot the savage through the body and killed him upon the spot.

Friday being now left to his liberty, pursued the flying wretches with his own great wooden sword in hand. With that he dispatched those three who were wounded at first and fallen, and all the rest he could come up with. The Spaniard pursued two of the savages and wounded them both, but as he was not able to run they both got from him into the wood. Friday pursued them and killed one of them with a swift cut which took off his head. But the other savage was too nimble for him. Tho’ he was wounded, yet had plunged himself into the sea and swam with all his might off to those two who were left in the canoe. I could not help but observe what powerful swimmers some of the savages were, as I had observ'd with my man Friday and his pursuers on the day of his escape from a like fate, as I have said before.

Those that were in the canoe worked hard to get out of gun-shot, and tho’ Friday made two or three shots at them, I did not find that he hit any of them. Friday would fain have had me take one of their canoes and pursue them. Indeed, I was very anxious about their escape, lest carrying the news home to their people they should come back perhaps with two or three hundred of the canoes and devour us by mere multitude. So I consented to pursue them by sea. Running to one of their canoes, I jumped in and bade Friday follow me.

But when I was in the canoe, I was surprised to find another poor creature lie there, bound hand and foot for the slaughter and almost dead with fear, not knowing what was the matter, for he had not been able to look up over the side of the boat. He was tied so hard, and had been tied so long, he had but little life in him.

I cut the twisted rushes which they had bound him with and would have helped him up. He could not stand or speak but groaned most piteously, believing, it seems, he was only unbound in order to be kill’d.

When Friday came to him, I bade him speak to him, and tell him of his deliverance. But when Friday came to hear him speak and look in his face, it would have moved any one to tears to have seen how Friday kissed him, embraced him, hugged him, cried, laughed, hallooed. It was a good while before I could make him speak to me, or tell me what was the matter. When he came a little to himself, he told me it was his father, whom he called Walla-kay.

Friday was so busy about his father, I could not find in my heart to take him off for some time. But after I thought he could leave him a little, I called him to me, and he came jumping and laughing, and pleased to the highest extreme. I asked him if he had given his father any bread. He shook his head, and said, "None, ugly frog eat all up self."

I then gave him a cake of bread, out of a little pouch I carried on purpose. I also gave him a dram for himself, but he would not taste it, but carried it to his father. I had in my pocket two or three bunches of raisins, so I gave him a handful of them for his father.

He had no sooner given his father these raisins but I saw him come out of the boat and run away as if he had been bewitched, he ran at such a rate. He was the swiftest fellow on his feet ever I saw, even with his odd gait. He was out of sight in an instant, and tho’ I called and hallooed out after him, away he went.