There were three more in the company, and one of them was also wounded. By this time I was come. When they saw their danger, and that it was in vain to resist, they begged for mercy. Burke told them he would spare their lives if they would give him any assurance of their abhorrence of the treachery they had been guilty of, and would swear to be faithful to him in recovering the ship. They gave him all the protestations of their sincerity that could be desired, and he was willing to spare their lives, which I was not against, only I obliged him to keep them bound hand and foot while they were on the island.
While this was doing, I sent Friday with Turner, the captain's mate, to the boat with orders to secure her and bring away the oars and sails, which they did. By and by three straggling men that were (happily for them) parted from the rest, came back upon hearing the guns fired. Seeing the captain who before was their prisoner now their conqueror, they submitted to be bound also. And so our victory was complete.
My new allies, villains,
fear the island
It now remained that Captain Burke and I should inquire into one another's circumstances. I began first, and told him my whole history, leaving out certain particulars of my nature and the nature of the island, to be certain. Indeed, as my story is a whole collection of wonders e'en without these particulars, it affected him deeply. But when he reflected from thence upon himself, and how I seem'd to have been preserved there on purpose to save his life, the tears ran down his face and he could not speak a word more. After this communication was at an end, I carried him and his two men into my apartment, where I refresh'd them with such provisions as I had, and showed them all the contrivances I had made during my long, long inhabiting that cursed place.
Above all, Burke admired my fortification, and how I had conceal'd my retreat with the growth about my fence, which, having been now planted near twenty years, was become a little wood. I told him this was my castle and my residence, but I had a seat in the country, as most princes have, and I would show him that too another time.
At present our business was to consider how to recover the ship. He agreed with me, but told me he was at a loss what measures to take, for there were still six and twenty hands on board who would be hardened in it now by desperation, knowing if they were subdued they would be brought to the gallows as soon as they came to England or to any of the English colonies. Therefore, there would be no attacking them with so small a number as we were.
I mused for some time upon what he had said, and found it was a very rational conclusion. Therefore, something was to be resolv’d on speedily, as well to draw the men on board into some snare for their surprise as to prevent their landing upon us and destroying us. It occurred to me in a little while the ship's crew, wondering what was become of their comrades and of the boat, would come on shore in their other boat to look for them. Perhaps they might come armed and be too strong for us. Upon this, I told him the first thing we had to do was to stave the boat which lay upon the beach, so they might not carry her off, and leave her so far useless as not to be fit to swim. Accordingly we went on board, took the arms which were left on board out of her, and whatever else we found there.
When we had carried all these things on shore, we knock'd a great hole in her bottom, that if they had come strong enough to master us, yet they could not carry off the boat. Indeed, it was not much in my thoughts we could be able to recover the ship. My view was if they went away without the boat, I did not much question to make her fit again to carry us to the Leeward Islands, and call upon our friends the Spaniards in my way, for I had them still in my thoughts.
While we were thus preparing our designs, and had by main strength heaved the boat upon the beach so high the tyde would not float her off at high water mark, and besides, had broke a hole in her bottom too big to be stopped, we heard the ship fire a gun and saw her make a waft with her ensign as a signal for the boat to come on board. But no boat stirred. They fired several times, making other signals for the boat. At last, when all their signals and firing proved fruitless, we saw them, by the help of my glasses, hoist another boat out and row towards the shore. We found, as they approached, there were no less than ten men in her, and they had fire-arms with them.
As the ship lay almost two leagues from the shore, we had a full view of them as they came, and a plain sight even of their faces. Because the tyde having set them a little to the east of the other boat, they rowed up under shore to come to the same place where the other had landed and where the boat lay. Captain Burke knew the persons and characters of all the men in the boat, of whom, he said, there were three very honest fellows who he was sure were led into this conspiracy by the rest, being overpowered and frightened. As for the boatswain, Slaader, a Moorish pirate who it seemed was the chief officer among them, and all the rest, they were as outrageous as any of the ship's crew, and were no doubt made desperate in their new enterprise. Terribly apprehensive he was they would be too powerful for us.