About a year and a half after I entertained these notions, as I have said, I was surprised one morning with seeing no less than five canoes all on shore together on my side of the island, and the people who belonged to them all landed and out of my sight. The number of them broke all my measures. Seeing so many, and knowing they always came four or six or sometimes more in a boat, I could not tell what to think of it, or how to take my measures to attack twenty or thirty men single-handed. However, I put myself into all the same postures for an attack that I had formerly provided and was just ready for action if any thing had presented. Having waited a good while, listening to hear if they made any noise, at length, being very impatient, I set my guns at the foot of my ladder, and clambered up to the top of the hill.
Here I observ’d, by the help of my perspective-glass, which was this time by selection the better of the two I had, they were no less than thirty in number. They had a fire kindled and they had meat dressed. How they had cooked it I knew not, or what it was. They were all dancing and writhing in their own way, round the fire, bellowing and braying words that were but sounds to distant me, but awful none the less for it. Their naked skin, I could see, was slick and grey, like that of an eel, and with their hunch'd backs and wide eyes they made for a most monstrous crowd of figures. Also I observ'd, as their hands would be thrown up, that each man and woman among them had very long fingers, enough so that it could be observ'd thru the glass. In a like manner were their feet long and broad, as each would kick up their legs in the wild dancing. I bethought myself that there was little doubt such a foot had left the long-ago print which had shap'd my life on the island since and up till this moment.
It did also occur to me that the full moon had been only one night earlier, and had the savages arriv'd the day before a most unpleasant surprise would have met them upon the shore. Even now, I could sense the beast's great dislike of these beings, and had little doubt it would have hunt'd many of them for the meer pleasure of the kill.
While I was thus looking on them, I perceived, by my perspective, two miserable wretches dragged from the boats, where, it seemed they were laid by, and were now brought out for the slaughter. I observ'd one of them fall, being knocked down, I suppose, with a club or wooden sword, for that was their way, and two or three others were at work, cutting him open for their cookery, while the other victim was left standing by himself till they should be ready for him. In that very moment, this poor wretch, seeing himself a little at liberty and unbound, started away from them and ran with incredible swiftness along the sands towards me. I mean, towards that part of the coast where my habitation was.
I was frighten'd, I must acknowledge, when I perceived him run my way and when, as I thought, I saw him pursued by the whole body. Now I expected that part of my dream was coming to pass, and that he would certainly take shelter in my grove. But I could not depend upon my dream for the rest of it, viz. that the other savages would not pursue him thither and find him there. However, I kept my station, and my spirits began to recover when I found there was not above three men that followed him. Still more was I encouraged when I found he outstript them in running and gained ground of them. If he could but hold it for half an hour, I saw he would fairly get away from them all, for he ran true and the three ran in a shambling manner, not true running but a manner of throwing one leg before the other, as a man who has not yet found his "sea legs," as sailors call them, sometimes will walk on deck.
There was between them and my castle the creek, which I mentioned often in the first part of my story, where I landed my cargoes out of the ship. This I saw the poor wretch must swim over or he would be taken there. When the escaping savage came thither, he made nothing of it, tho’ the tyde was then up. Plunging in, he swam through in about thirty strokes, landed, and ran on with exceeding strength and swiftness.
When the three persons came to the creek, I found two of them could swim, but the third would not. Standing on the other side, he looked at the others, but went no farther, and soon after went back again, which, as it happened, was very well for him in the end. I observ’d the two who swam, tho' clumsy apace, were yet more than twice as fast swimming over the creek as the fellow was that fled from them. It came now upon my thoughts, and indeed irresistibly, that now was the time to get me a servant and perhaps a companion or assistant, and I was called plainly by Providence to save this poor creature's life. I ran down the ladders with all possible expedition, fetched my two guns, and getting up again to the top of the hill I crossed towards the sea. Having a very short cut, and all down hill, I placed myself in the way between the pursuers and the pursued, hallooing aloud to him that fled. Looking back, he was at first perhaps as much frightened at me as at them. I beckoned with my hand to him to come back.