The Eerie Adventures of the Lycanthrope Robinson Crusoe (27 page)

When they were come to the brow of the hill, where they could see a great way into the valleys and woods, which lay towards the north-east part and where the island lay lowest, they shouted and hallooed till they were weary. Not caring to venture far from the shore, nor far from one another, they sat down together under a tree to consider of it. Had they thought fit to have gone to sleep there, as the other part of them had done, they had done the job for us. But they were too full of apprehensions of danger to venture to go to sleep, tho’ they could not tell what the danger was they had to fear neither.

At length I told Friday, Burke, Sir Wade, and the others that there would be nothing done, in my opinion, till night. If they did not return to the boat, perhaps we might find a way to get between them and the shore, and so might use some stratagem with them in the boat to get them on shore. We waited a great while, tho’ very impatient for their removing, and were very uneasy when, after long consultations, we saw them all start up and march down towards the sea. It seemed they had such dreadful apprehensions upon them of the danger of the place, they resolv’d to go on board the ship again, give their companions over for lost, and so go on with their intended voyage with the ship.

Captain Burke, as soon as I told him my thoughts, was ready to sink at the apprehensions of it, but I presently thought of a stratagem to fetch them back again. I ordered Friday and Turner to go over the little creek westward, towards the place where the savages came on shore when Friday was rescued, and as soon as they came to a little rising ground, at about half a mile distance, I bade them halloo out as loud as they could, and wait till they found the seamen heard them. As soon as ever they heard the seamen answer them they should return it again. Then keeping out of sight, always answering when the others hallooed, draw them as far into the island among the woods as possible, then wheel about again to me.

The pirates were just going into the boat when Friday and the mate hallooed. They heard them, and answering, ran along the shore westward towards the voice they heard, when they were presently stopped by the creek, where the water being up they could not get over. Slaader called for the boat to come up, as I expected. When they had set themselves over, I observ’d the boat being gone a good way into the creek and in a harbour within the land. The Moorish pirate took one of the three men out of her to go along with them and left only two in the boat, having fasten’d her to the stump of a little tree on the shore. This was what I wished for.

Leaving Friday and the captain's mate to their business, I took the rest with me and, crossing the creek out of their sight, we surprised the two men before they were aware. One of them lying on the shore and the other being in the boat. The fellow on shore was between sleeping and waking and going to start up. The captain, who was foremost, ran in upon him and knocked him down, then called out to him in the boat to yield or he was a dead man. There needed very few arguments to persuade a single man to yield when he saw five men upon him and his comrade knocked down. Besides, this was one of the three who were not so hearty in the mutiny as the rest of the crew, and therefore was persuaded not only to yield but afterwards to join with us.

In the mean time, Friday and Turner so well managed their business with the rest they drew them from one hill to another and from one wood to another, till they not only tired them, but left them stranded on the edge of the shadow'd valley. Of the eight which Friday led away to that awful place, only half ever returned, and the fate of the others was never learnt by any of us there.

We had nothing now to do but to watch for them in the dark, and to fall upon them so as to make sure work with them. It was past midnight before the lucky four came back to their boat, having escap'd the shadow'd valley. We could hear Slaader, the foremost of them, long before they came quite up, calling to those behind to come along. We could also hear them answer and complain how tired they were and not able to come any faster, and in their voices was a tremble of fear. At length they came up to the boat, but it is impossible to express their confusion when they found the boat fast aground in the creek, the tyde ebbed out, and their two men gone. We could hear them call to one another in a most lamentable manner, telling one another they were got into an enchanted island. Either there were inhabitants in it, and they should all be murdered, or else there were devils and spirits in it, and they should be all carried away and devoured. My man Friday and I did take pleasure at such words, and shared a smile. The mutineers hallooed again, and called their two comrades by their names a great many times, but no answer.

After some time, we could see them, by the little light there was, run about, wringing their hands like men in despair. Sometimes they would go and sit down in the boat to rest themselves, then come ashore again and walk about again and so the same thing over again. My men would fain have had me give them leave to fall upon them at once in the dark. I was willing to take them at some advantage, so to spare them, and kill as few of them as I could. I was unwilling to hazard the killing any of our men, knowing the others were very well armed. I resolv’d to wait to see if they did not separate. To make sure of them, I drew my ambuscade nearer and ordered Friday and Burke to creep upon their hands and feet, as close to the ground as they could that they might not be discovered, and get as near them as they could before they offered to fire.

They had not been long in that posture when the piratical boatswain, Slaader, came walking towards them with two more of the crew. Burke was so eager at having this rogue so much in his power he could hardly have patience to let him come so near as to be sure of him. When they came nearer, the captain and Friday let fly at them. Slaader was killed upon the spot. The next man was shot in the body and fell just by him, tho’ he did not die till an hour or two after. The third run for it.

At the noise of the fire, I advanced with my whole army, which was now eight men. We came upon them in the dark so they could not see our number. I made the man they had left in the boat, who was now one of us, to call them by name, to try if I could bring them to a parley. So he called out as loud as he could, to one of them, "Tom Smith! Tom Smith!"

Tom Smith answered, "Is that Roberts?" For it seemed he knew the voice.

The other answered, "Aye aye. For God's sake, Tom Smith, throw down your arms and yield, or you are dead men this moment."

"Who must we yield to? Where are they?" said Smith again.

"Here they are," said he. "Captain Burke, and fifty men with him, have been hunting you these two hours. Slaader is killed, Will Fry is wounded, and I am a prisoner. If you do not yield, you are all lost."

"Will they give us quarter then?" said Smith.

"I'll go and ask, if you promise to yield," said Roberts.

Burke himself then called out, "You, Smith, you know my voice. If you lay down your arms immediately, and submit, you shall have your lives, but not Will Atkins."

Upon this Atkins cried out, "For God's sake, captain, give me quarter! What have I done? They have all been as bad as I!" Which was not true neither, for this Atkins was all but a pirate himself, and the first man that laid hold of the captain when they mutinied and used him barbarously. However, the captain told him he must lay down his arms at discretion and trust to the governor's mercy. For they all called me governor.

In a word, they both laid down their arms and begged their lives. I sent the man that had parleyed with them, and two more, who bound them. Then my great army came up and seized upon them and upon their boat.

Our next work was to repair the first boat and think of seizing the ship. As for Burke, now he had leisure to parley with them, he expostulated with them upon the villainy of their practices with him, and how it must bring them to the gallows.

They all appear'd very penitent and begged hard for their lives. As for that, he told them they were none of his prisoners, but the commander's of the island. They thought they had set him on shore in a barren, uninhabited island. But it had pleased God so to direct them, that it was inhabited, and the governor was an Englishman. He might hang them all there, if he pleased. But as he had given them all quarter, he supposed he would send them to England, to be dealt with there as justice required, except Atkins, whom he was commanded by the governor to advise to prepare for death, for he would be hanged in the morning.

Tho’ this was all but a fiction of his own, yet it had its desired effect. Atkins fell upon his knees to beg the captain to intercede with the governor for his life. All the rest begged of him, for God's sake, that they might not be sent to England.

It now occurred to me the time of our deliverance was come, and it would be a most easy thing to bring these fellows in to be hearty in getting possession of the ship. I retired in the dark, that they might not see what kind of a governor they had, and called the captain to me. When I called, as at a good distance, one of the men was ordered to speak again, and said to Burke, "Captain, the commander calls for you."

Presently he replied, "Tell his Excellency I am just a coming." This amused them, and they all believed the commander was just by with his fifty men.

Upon Burke's coming to me, I was struck with an uneasy sense. It was part my own awareness, part that of the beast, which had lurk'd just beneath my skin while we ran and hunted these villains cross the island. It had observ'd some thing thru my eyes which bother'd it, which meant, in a word, it was a thing I had observ'd as well, tho' I knew not what it was.

Putting such reflections aside for the moment, I told Burke my project for seizing the ship, which he liked wonderfully well, and resolv’d to put it in execution the next morning.

But, in order to execute it and to be secure of success, I told him we must divide the prisoners, and he should go and take Atkins and two more of the worst of them and send them pinioned to the cave where the others lay. This was committed to Friday, Turner, and Sir Wade. They conveyed them to the cave, as to a prison. It was, indeed, a dismal place to men in their condition. The others I ordered to my bower. As it was fenced in and they pinioned, the place was secure enough, considering they were upon their behaviour.

It was at this point, as the men scatter'd upon their tasks, that I observ'd what the beast had seen which foul'd its mood. Or, in a word, what it had not seen.

The body of Slaader had vanish'd.

I spoke with the men, but none had remov'd it from the shore, and this did feed the fear many of them had felt for this island as its nature did work upon them. There were much talk of Carrib rituals and vampyre and one man spoke of the
ghul
, a word I had heard long, long ago from the wise men of Sallee.

When I spoke of the missing body to Friday, he was very put out, and look'd to the south west, to the dark church. "What is it, Friday?" I asked of him.

He shook his head in shame, but would not say. When I ask'd again, he raised his dark eyes to mine. "All things say O to him," said my man. And he would say no more that night.

In the morning I sent Burke to our prisoners, who was to enter into a parley with them. In a word, to try them and tell me whether he thought they might be trusted 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 tho’ the governor had given them quarter for their lives as to the present action, yet if they were sent to England they would all be hanged in chayns, to be sure. But 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 such a proposal would be accepted by men in their condition. They fell down on their knees to Burke and promised they would be faithful to him to the last drop, and they should owe their lives to him and would go with him all over the world. They would own him as a father as long as they lived.

"Well," said he, "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 he believed they would be faithful.

However, that we might be very secure, I told Burke he should go back again and choose out five that they might see he was not wanting for men, and tell them he would take out those five to be his assistants. 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. If they proved unfaithful in the execution, the five hostages should be hanged in chayns alive on the shore.

This look'd severe and convinced them the governor was in earnest. However, they had no way left them but to accept it. It was now the business of the prisoners, as much as of Burke, to persuade the other five to do their duty.

I asked him if he was willing to venture with these hands on board the ship. As for me and my man Friday, I did not think it was proper for us to stir, having seven men left behind. It was employment enough for us to keep them asunder and supply them with victuals.

As to the five in the cave, I resolv’d to keep them fast, but Friday went in twice a day to them, to supply them with necessaries. I made the other two carry provisions to a certain distance, where Friday was to take it.

When I show'd myself to the two hostages, it was with Burke, who told them I was the person the governor had ordered to look after them. It was the governor's pleasure they should not stir any where but by my direction. If they did, they would be fetch’d into the castle and be laid in irons, or, far worse, set free in the wood to be hunted by the beast of the island. I now appeared as another person and spoke of the governor, the garrison, the castle, and the like, upon all occasions.

Burke now had no difficulty before him but to furnish his two boats, stop the breach of one, and man them. He made young Sir Wade captain of one, with four of the men. Himself, Turner, and five more, went in the other. They contrived their business very well, for they came up to the ship about midnight. As soon as they came within call of the ship, he made Roberts hail the mutineers and tell them they had brought off the men and the boat, holding them in a chat till they came to the ship's side. Burke and Turner, entering first, knock'd down the second mate and carpenter with the butt end of their muskets, being seconded by their men.