Within me the beast made many growls. The smell of flesh and blood excited it, as such things do, but it was also cow'd by the sight of this large totem. It did react to this place much as it had to the shadow'd valley I had found many years before and ne'er visited again.
I was so astonished with the sight of these things and the reactions of the beast, I entertain'd no notions of any danger to myself from it for a long while. All my apprehensions were buried in the thoughts of such a fearsome creature of the totem, the awful rituals perform'd before it, and the horror of the degeneracy of human nature, which, tho’ I had heard of it often, yet I never had so near a view of before. In short, I turned away my face from the horrid spectacle. My stomach grew sick, and I was just at the point of fainting when nature discharged the disorder from my stomach. Having vomited with uncommon violence, I was a little relieved, but could not bear to stay in the place a moment. I got me up the hill again with all the speed I could and walked on towards my own habitation.
When I came a little out of that part of the island, I stood still awhile, as amazed, and then recovering myself, I looked up with the utmost affection of my soul and gave God thanks that had cast my first lot in a part of the world where I was distinguished from such dreadful creatures as these. In this frame of thankfulness, I went home to my castle and began to be easier now as to the safety of my circumstances than ever I was before. I observ’d these wretches never came to this island in search of what they could get. Perhaps not seeking, not wanting, or not expecting any thing here aside from the performance of their awful customs and feast within their church, as I must think of it. I knew I had been here now almost eighteen years and never saw the least footsteps of human creature there before. I might be eighteen years more as concealed as I was now if I did not discover myself to them, which I had no manner of occasion to do.
Yet I entertain'd such an abhorrence of the savage wretches I have been speaking of, and of the wretched inhuman custom of their devouring and eating one another up, I continued pensive and sad and kept close within my own circle for almost two years after this. When I say my own circle, I mean by it my three plantations, viz. my castle, my country-seat, which I called my bower, and my enclosure in the woods. Nor did I look after this for any other use than as an enclosure for my goats. The aversion which nature gave me to these hellish wretches was such that I was as fearful of seeing them as of seeing the Devil himself. If I had happened to have fallen into their hands, I knew what would have been my lot.
Also within this time did my memories go back to little Poll, who died speaking awful words. The parrot did tell of a great dreamer who would feed upon my soul. And yet here had I not found a graven image of a thing from my dreams, the bearded dream lord, a thing which those who eat the bodies of men did worship as a saint or icon? Were the awful, unknowable words Poll spoke at his end the words of savages? The two things, viz. the dream lord and Poll's dire profesy, did seem surely link'd.
Time, however, and the satisfaction I was in no danger of being discovered by these people, began to wear off my uneasiness. I began to live just in the same composed manner as before, with this difference. I used more caution, and kept my eyes more about me than I did before, lest I should happen to be seen by any of them. Particularly I was more cautious of firing my gun, lest any of them being on the island should happen to hear it. It was therefore a very good providence to me I had furnished myself with a tame breed of goats, and I had no need to hunt any more about the woods. If I did catch any of them after this, it was by traps and snares, as I had done before. So for two years after this I believe I never fired my gun once off, tho’ I never went out without it. Which was more, as I had saved three pistols out of the ship, I always carried at least two of them out with me, sticking them in my goat-skin belt. I also furbish'd up one of the great cutlasses I had out of the ship, and made me a belt to hang it on. I was now a most formidable fellow to look at when I went abroad, if you add to the former description of myself the particular of two pistols, and a great broad-sword hanging at my side.