The Eerie Adventures of the Lycanthrope Robinson Crusoe (28 page)

They secured all the rest that were upon the mainland quarterdecks, and began to fasten the hatches to keep them down that were below. The other boat and their men, entering at the fore-chains, secured the forecastle of the ship, and the scuttle which went down into the cook-room, making three men they found there prisoners. When this was done, and all safe upon deck, Burke ordered the mate, with three men, to break into the round-house, where the mutineer captain, Doyle, lay.

Having taken the alarm, Doyle had got up and, with two men and a boy, had got fire-arms in their hands. When Turner split open the door with a crow, the false captain and his men fired boldly among them. They wounded the mate with a musket ball, which broke his arm, and wounded two more of the men, but killed nobody.

Turner, calling for help, rush'd into the round-house, wounded as he was, and with his pistol shot Doyle thru the head, so he never spoke a word more. Upon which the rest yielded, and the ship was taken without any more lives lost.

As soon as the ship was thus secured, Captain Burke ordered seven guns to be fired, which was the signal agreed upon with me to give me notice of his success, which you may be sure I was very glad to hear. Having thus heard the signal, I did head away from the shore to my castle for sleep, it having been a day of great fatigue to me. Yet I had not cover'd half the distance when one stepped from the trees to confront me with a drawn broad sword, or cutlass, and made me set my hand upon my own.

At first, I bethought myself this was one of the four pirates lost in the shadow'd valley. And then the quarter moon did come from behind a cloud and cast some light upon the shore, and I saw the Moor Slaader before me. An awful wound marr'd his features, and show'd the skull and teeth below his flesh, for Burke's weapon had ruin'd much of his face. Indeed, it had kill'd him, of this I would be sure even if the beast did not assure me of it from beneath my skin with furious snarls. Yet before me he stood, and many of the dark symbols ink'd in his skin did burn and gleam like lamp light.

"Robin Crusoe," said Slaader, and his voice was that of the grave, "there you are." His brow did wrinkle in anger, tho' he was beyond all such feeling, and he point'd a stern finger at me. "You shall not leave, Robin Crusoe! Your soul
will
feed the Great Dreamer!
You shall not leave!!
"

At this he lunged at me with his cutlass. I drew my own sword and leapt aside. The boatswain follow'd, swinging his great weapon. The blades met, but I was no swords man, and Slaader had a furious strength upon him. Our swords met twice, high and low, and twice again, side to side, and then the pirate knock'd my blade from my hand and it flew far from my grasp. Now from his mouth came the words, the awful words of Poll and the savages and Walla-Kay, Friday's father. The dark prayers of Kathooloo. The ink of his skin did flicker and flare with his words, like a lantern being brush'd with a breeze.

Within my skin the beast did howl for freedom, for the words of Slaader anger'd it, as the like words of Poll had years and years ago, as I have said.

I dodged a swipe of his cutlass and felt a great freedom come across me, as a man must when he sees the door of his prison open'd after many, many years, yet the feeling was not mine but that of the beast. The moon was of no consequence, for the years alone had made us too close for such things to matter, and like in the stories I had heard of my father's father, I call'd to the beast and set it free.

The mantle of the beast fell upon me, and through the smok'd lens did I see the look of surprise come across the face of Slaader. I felt the beast's displeasure at my cloathes, and its hunger for flesh, and its rage at the dead boatswain.

In the moments it took for the beast to take my form, Slaader brought his sword down in a mighty swing, as a man takes an axe to a tree. The blow did catch us in the shoulder, splitting bone and flesh, but the beast had enough of me at that point that the wound did heal over, in a word like a baking pie which closes itself up with only a faint scar, and even that was hidden by the beast's fur.

The beast's claws lash'd out as a whip, tearing open the boatswain's stomach to spill his innards cross the shore. Yet Slaader noticed the wound no more than the beast had its, and swung his cutlass again. The beast swept away the blade as a man sweeps away flies, and its claws cut at the boatswain's flesh once more, yet again he ignored it.

Slaader brought his own hand around in a fist to strike the beast and O the pain! The man wore a ring of purest silver, tho' he knew not the power it gave him, for he raised his cutlass again as the beast reel'd back. Recovering, it leapt forward and closed its mighty jaws on the man's arm, tearing at flesh and crushing bone, and Slaader's arm fell to the sand, the cutlass still clutch'd in its hand.

At this the man sent forth a mighty blow with his undamaged hand, his ringed hand, and this strike sprawl'd the beast back cross the shore, and it yelpt like a dog which had been beaten, tho' only for a moment. It turned and snarl'd. The boatswain grabb'd his sword with his other hand.

Slaader stepped forward again and then, most suddenly, did his head burst like an over ripe melon dropp'd from the vine. His body stagger'd on the sand and rais'd the cutlass once more, and then the lamp light from his ink grew dim and he fell.

A few yards away, Friday stood with his musket at the shoulder, his aim once again shown to be true and good. He look'd at the beast for a moment, and thru the smok'd lens I was pleased to see Friday did not appear as meat, but as a member of the pack to be protected. And this thought, nay, this vague impression, was scarce cross my mind when I observ'd I was gazing upon my man with my own eyes and not those of the beast. My legs were weak and I fell to the sand, not far from the headless body of Slaader.

"Master," said Friday with a glare at the piratical boatswain's body. "Is you safe?"

I felt the beast settle beneath my skin and met my faithful servant's gaze. "We are safe, Friday," said I to him. "We are safer than ever we have been before." At which we burnt the body of Slaader there on the shore where it lay, and then Friday helped me to our castle and got me into my hammock, which had once belong'd to a long dead mate whose name I had never learnt.

I slept very sound, till I was something surprised with the noise of a gun. Presently starting up, I heard a man call me by the name of "Governor, Governor," and I knew Burke's voice. When climbing up to the top of the hill, there he stood, and, pointing to the ship, he embraced me in his arms. "My dear friend and deliverer," said he, "there's your ship, for she is all yours, and so are we, and all that belong to her."

I cast my eyes to the ship, and there she rode within little more than half a mile of the shore. They had weighed her anchor as soon as they were masters of her, and the weather being fair, had brought her to just against the mouth of the little creek. The tyde being up, the captain had brought the pinnacle in near the place where I at first landed my rafts, and so landed just at my door.

I saw my deliverance, indeed, visibly put into my hands. A large ship just ready to carry Friday and me away whither I pleased to go. At first, for some time, I was not able to answer Burke one word. He perceived the surprise, and pulled a bottle out of his pocket, and gave me a dram of cordial which he had brought on purpose for me. After I had drank it, I sat down upon the ground.

All this time the poor man was in as great an ecstasy as I, only not under any surprise as I was. He said a thousand kind and tender things to me, to compose and bring me to myself. But such was the flood of joy in my breast, it put all my spirits into confusion. At last it broke out into tears, and in a little while after I recovered my speech. I then took my turn and embraced him as my deliverer, and we rejoiced together.

When we had talked a while, the captain told me he had brought me some little refreshment, such as the ship afforded, and such as the wretches that had been so long his masters had not plundered him of. Upon this he called aloud to the boat and bade his men bring the things ashore that were for the governor. Indeed, it was a present as if I had been one that was not to be carried away with them, but as if I had been to dwell upon the island still.

First, he had brought me a case of bottles full of excellent cordial waters, six large bottles of Madeira wine, two pounds of excellent tobacco, twelve good pieces of the ship's beef, and six pieces of pork, with a bag of peas, and about a hundred weight of bisket.

But, besides these, and what was a thousand times more useful to me, he brought me clean shirts, very good neckcloths, gloves, shoes, a hat, and one pair of stockings, with a very good suit of cloathes of his own which had been worn but very little. In a word, he cloathed me from head to foot. It was a very kind and agreeable present to one in my circumstances, but never was any thing in the world of that kind so unpleasant, awkward, and uneasy, as it was to me to wear such cloathes at their first putting on after so many years.

After these ceremonies were past, and after all his good things were brought into my little apartment, we began to consult what was to be done with the prisoners we had. It was worth considering whether we might venture to take them away with us or no, especially two of them, whom he knew to be incorrigible and refractory to the last degree. Burke said he knew they were such rogues there was no obliging them. If he did carry them away, it must be in irons, to be delivered over to justice at the first English colony he could come at. I found the captain himself was very anxious about it.

Upon this I told him if he desired it, I would undertake to bring the two men he spoke of to make it their own request he should leave them upon the island, tho' I did warn him this was but a sentence of a different kind. "I should be very glad of that," said the captain, "with all my heart."

"Well," said I, "I will send for them up, and talk with them for you." So I caus'd Friday and the two hostages to go to the cave and bring up the five men to the bower, and keep them there till I came.

After some time, I came thither dressed in my new habit, and now I was called governor again. Being all met, and Burke with me, I caused the men to be brought before me. I told them I had got a full account of their villainous behaviour to the captain, and how they had run away with the ship and were preparing to commit farther piracy. But Providence had ensnared them in their own ways, and they were fallen into the pit which they had dug for others.

I let them know by my direction the ship had been seized. She lay now in the road, and they might see their new captain, Doyle, had received the reward of his villainy. They would see him hanging at the yard-arm.

I wanted to know what they had to say, why I should not execute them as pirates, as by my commission they could not doubt but I had authority so to do.

One of them answered in the name of the rest that they had nothing to say but this-- when they were taken, Burke promised them their lives, and they implored my mercy. But I told them I knew not what mercy to show them. As for myself, I had resolv’d to quit the island with all my men, and had taken passage to go for England. As for Burke, he could not carry them to England other than as prisoners to be tried for mutiny, the consequence of which would be the gallows. I could not tell what was best for them, unless they had a mind to take their fate on the island. If they desired, I had some inclination to give them their lives, if they thought they could shift on shore, tho' I did warn them it was a dark place and no true mercy.

They seemed very thankful for it, and said they would much rather venture to stay there than be carried to England to be hanged. I left it on that issue.

However, Burke pretended to make some difficulty of it, as if he durst not leave them there. Upon this I seemed a little angry with the captain, and told him they were my prisoners, not his. Seeing I had offer'd them so much favour, I would be as good as my word. If he did not think fit to consent to it, I would set them at liberty, as I found them. He might take them again if he could catch them.

Upon this they appeared very thankful, and I set them at liberty and bade them retire into the woods to the place whence they came. I would leave them some fire-arms, some ammunition, and some directions how they should live very well, if they thought fit.

Upon this I prepared to go on board the ship, but told Burke that Friday and I would stay that night to prepare my things. When the captain was gone, I sent for the men up to me to my apartment, and enter’d seriously into discourse with them on their circumstances. I told them I thought they had made a right choice, tho' a dangerous one. If the captain had carry’d them away, they would be hanged. I showed them the false captain hanging at the yard-arm of the ship and told them they had nothing less to expect.

When they had all declared their willingness to stay, I then told them I would let them into the story of my living there, and put them into the way of making it easy to them, or as easy as could be. Accordingly, I gave them the history of the place, and of my coming to it. I warn'd them of the dark church and the dream lord Kathooloo, and to be cautious of all thoughts in that place, and of the very nature of the island. Also I showed them my fortifications, the way I made my bread, planted my corn, cured my grapes. In a word, all that was necessary to make them survive for as long a time as they would. I told them also the story of the seventeen Spaniards that were to be expected, for whom I left a letter, and made them promise to treat them in common with themselves. Here it may be noted, Burke had ink on board, and was greatly surprised I never hit upon a way of making ink of charcoal and water, as I had done things much more difficult.

I left them my fire-arms and three swords. I had above a barrel and a half of powder left. I gave them a description of the way I managed the goats and directions to milk and fatten them, and to make both butter and cheese. I gave them every part of my own story, and told them I should prevail with Burke to leave them two barrels of gunpowder more and some garden seeds, which I told them I would have been very glad of. I gave them the bag of peas which the captain had brought me to eat and bade them be sure to sow and increase them.