The Life and Most Surprising Adventures of Robinson Crusoe, of York, Mariner (1801) eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 407 pages of information about The Life and Most Surprising Adventures of Robinson Crusoe, of York, Mariner (1801).

The Life and Most Surprising Adventures of Robinson Crusoe, of York, Mariner (1801) eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 407 pages of information about The Life and Most Surprising Adventures of Robinson Crusoe, of York, Mariner (1801).
on the foremost, I knocked him down with the stock of my piece, and laid him flat on the ground.  I was very unwilling to fire lest the rest should hear, though at a distance, I question whether they could or no; and being out of sight of the smoke, they could not easily have known what to make of it.  The other savage seeing his fellow fall, stopped as if he had been amazed; when advancing towards him, I could perceive him take his bow from his back, and, fixing and arrow to it, was preparing to shoot at me, and, without dispute, might have lodged the arrow in my breast; but, in this absolutely necessary case of self preservation, I immediately fired at him, and shot him dead, just as his hand was going to draw the fatal string.  All this while, the savage who had fled before stood still, and had the satisfaction to see his enemies killed, as he thought, who designed to take away his life; so affrighted was he with the fire and noise of my piece, that he stood as it were like Lot’s wife, fixed and immoveable, without either sense or motion.  This obliged me to halloo to him again, making the plainest signs I could to him to draw nearer.  I perceived he understood those tokens by his approaching to me a little way, when, as is afraid I should kill him too, he stopped again.  Several times did he advance, as often stop in this manner, till coming more, to my view, I perceived him trembling, as if he was to undergo the same fate.  Upon which I looked upon him with a smiling countenance, and still beckoning to him, at length he came close to me and kneeled down, kissed my hand, laid his head upon it, and taking me by the foot, placed it upon his head; and this, as I understood afterwards, was in token of swearing to be my slave for ever.  I took him up, and, making much of him, encouraged him in the best manner I could.  But my work was not yet finished; for I perceived the savage whom I knocked down, was not killed, but stunned with the blow, and began to come to himself, Upon which I pointed to my new servant, and shewed him that his enemy was not yet expired, he spoke some words to me, but which I could not understand; yet being the first sound of a man’s voice I had heard for above twenty-five years, they were very pleasing to me.  But there was no time for reflection now, the wounded savage recovering himself so far as to sit upon the ground, which made my poor prisoner as much afraid as before; to put him out of which fear, I presented my other gun at the man, with an intent to shoot him; but my savage, for so I must now call him, prevented my firing, by making a motion to me, to lend him my sword, which hung naked in my belt by my side.  No sooner did I grant his request, but away he runs to his enemy, and at one blow cut off his head as dextrously as the most accomplished executioner in Germany could have done; for, it seems, these creatures make use of wooden swords made of hard wood which will bear edge enough to cut off heads and arms at one blow.  When this valorous exploit was done, he comes to me laughing, as a token of triumph, delivered me my sword again, with abundance of suprising gestures, laying it, along with the bleeding and ghastly head of the Indian, at my feet.

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The Life and Most Surprising Adventures of Robinson Crusoe, of York, Mariner (1801) from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.