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."