"Yes," said Friday. "They will eat them."
"No, no," said I. "Friday, I am afraid they will murder them, indeed, but you may be sure they will not eat them."
All this while I had no thought of what the matter was, but stood expecting every moment when the three prisoners should be killed. Once I saw one of the villains lift up his arm with a great cutlass to strike one of the poor men. I expect'd to see him fall every moment. I wished now I had any way to have come undiscovered within shot of them, that I might have rescued the three men, for I saw no fire-arms they had among them. After I had observ’d the outrageous usage of the three men by the insolent seamen, I observ’d the fellows run scattering about the island as if they wanted to see the country. I observ’d the three other men had liberty to go also where they pleased, but they sat down all three upon the ground, very pensive, and looked like men in despair. This put me in mind of the first time when I came on shore and began to look about me. How I gave myself over for lost, how wildly I looked round me, what dreadful apprehensions I had.
It was just at the top of high water when these people came on shore. While they rambled about to see what kind of a place they were in, they had carelessly staid till the tyde was spent and the water was ebb'd away, leaving their boat aground. They had left two men in the boat, who, having drank a little too much brandy, fell asleep. However, one of them waking a little sooner than the other, and finding the boat too fast aground for him to stir it, hallooed out for the rest. They all soon came to the boat, but it was past all their strength to launch her, the boat being very heavy, and the shore on that side being a soft oozy sand, almost like a quicksand. In this condition, like true seamen, who are perhaps the least of all mankind given to forethought, they gave it over, and away they strolled about the country again. I heard one of them say aloud to another, calling them off from the boat, "Why, let her alone, Jack, can't you? She'll float next tyde."
All this while I kept myself very close, not once daring to stir out of my castle any farther than to my place of observation near the top of the hill. Very glad I was to think how well it was fortify'd. I knew it was no less than ten hours before the boat could float again, and by that time it would be dark and I might be at more liberty to see their motions and to hear their discourse, if they had any. In the mean time, I fitted myself up for a battle as before, tho’ with more caution, knowing I had to do with another kind of enemy than I had at first. I ordered Friday also to load himself with arms. My figure, indeed, was very fierce. I had my formidable goat-skin coat on, with the great cap I have mention'd, a naked sword by my side, two pistols in my belt, and a gun upon each shoulder.
It was my design, as I said above, not to have made any attempt till it was dark. But about two o'clock, being the heat of the day, I found they were all gone straggling into the woods, and, as I thought, laid down to sleep. The three poor distress'd men, too anxious for their condition to get any sleep, however, sat down under the shelter of a great tree at about a half of a mile from me, and, as I thought, out of sight of any of the rest. Upon this I resolv’d to discover myself to them and learn something of their condition. I marched in the figure as above, my man Friday at a good distance behind me, as formidable for his arms as I, but making quite more an apprehending figure as I did with his gray skin and sharp teeth.
I came as near them undiscovered as I could, and then, before any of them saw me, I let out a sharp howl in the nature of the beast. They started up at the noise, but were ten times more confounded when they saw me and the uncouth figure I made. They made no answer at all, but I thought I perceived them just going to fly from me, when I spoke to them in English.
"Gentlemen," said I, "do not be surprised at me. Perhaps you may have a friend near when you did not expect it."
"He must be sent directly from Heaven then," said one of them very gravely to me, and pulling off his hat at the same time, "for our condition is past the help of man."
"All help is from Heaven, sir," said I. "But can you put a stranger in the way how to help you? You seem to be in some great distress. I saw you when you landed, and when you seemed to make application to the brutes that came with you, I saw one of them lift up his sword to kill you."
The poor man, with tears running down his face, and trembling, looking like one astonished, returned, "Am I talking to God or man? Is it a real man or an angel?"