I smiled at him. "Men in our circumstances are past the operation of fear," I told him. "And where, Sir, is your belief of my being preserved here on purpose to save your life, which elevated you a little while ago? For my part, there seems to me but one thing amiss in all the prospect of it."
"What is that?" said he.
"Why," said I, "it is, that as you say there are three or four honest fellows among them which should be spared. Had they been all of the wicked part of the crew, I should have thought God's providence had singled them out to deliver them into your hands. Depend upon it," I told him, "every man that comes ashore are our own, and shall die or live as they behave to us."
As I spoke this with a raised voice and cheerful countenance, I found it encouraged him. So we set vigorously to our business.
We had, upon the first appearance of the boat's coming from the ship, consider'd of separating our prisoners. We had, indeed, secured them effectually. Two of them, of whom Burke was less assured than ordinary, I sent with Friday, and one of the three deliver'd men to my cave, where they were remote enough and out of danger of being heard or discovered, or of finding their way out of the woods if they could have deliver'd themselves. Here they left them bound, but gave them provisions and promised them if they continued there quietly to give them their liberty in a day or two. If they attempted their escape, they should be kill'd by the beast of the island without mercy. As Friday's countenance can be most fierce if he wills it, they dreaded at the thought of something more bestial than he. They promised faithfully to bear their confinement with patience, and were very thankful they had such good usage as to have provisions and light left them.
The other prisoners had better usage. Two of them were kept pinioned, because the captain was not free to trust them. The other two were taken into my service, upon Burke's recommendation and upon their solemnly engaging to live and die with us. With them and the three honest men we were seven men well armed, and I made no doubt we should be able to deal well enough with the ten that were coming, considering the captain had said there were three or four honest men among them also.
As soon as the mutineers got to the place where their other boat lay, they ran their boat into the beach and came all on shore, hauling the boat up after them, which I was glad to see. I was afraid they would rather have left the boat at an anchor, some distance from the shore, with some hands in her to guard her, and so we should not be able to seize the boat. Being on shore, the first thing they did, they ran all to their other boat. It was easy to see they were under a great surprise to find her stript of all that was in her and a great hole in her bottom.
After they had mused a while upon this, they set up two or three great shouts, hallooing with all their might to try if they could make their companions hear, but all was to no purpose. Then they came all close in a ring and fired a volley of their small arms, and the echoes made the woods ring. But those in the cave we were sure could not hear and those in our keeping, tho’ they heard it well enough, yet durst give no answer to them. The men were so astonished at the surprise of this, they resolv’d to go all on board again and let them know the men were all murdered and the long-boat staved. Accordingly, they immediately launched their boat again and got all of them on board.
Captain Burke was amazed, and even confounded at this, believing they would go on board the ship again and set sail, giving their comrades over for lost, and so he should still lose the ship, which he was in hopes we should have recovered. But he was quickly as much frightened the other way.