Journeys Through Bookland, Vol. 3Sylvester, Charles Herbert
General
Journeys Through Bookland, Vol. 3
Sylvester, Charles Herbert
Children's literature; Literature -- Collections
In the meantime Friday and the captain's mate so well managed their
business with the rest, that they drew them, by hallooing and
answering, from one hill to another, and from one wood to another,
till they not only heartily tired them, but left them where they were
very sure they could not reach back to their boat before it was dark;
and, indeed, they were heartily tired themselves also, by the time
they came back to us.
We had nothing now to do but to watch for the others in the dark, and
to fall upon them, so as to make sure work with them. It was several
hours after Friday came back to me before they came back to their
boat; and we could hear the foremost of them, long before they came
quite up, calling to those behind to come along; and could also hear
them answer, and complain how lame and tired they were, and not able
to go any faster; which was very welcome news to us. At length they
came up to the boat; but it is impossible to express their confusion
when they found the boat aground in the creek, the tide ebbed out, and
their two men gone; we could hear them call one to another in the most
lamentable manner, telling one another they were got into an enchanted
island; that either there were inhabitants in it, and they should all
be murdered, or else there were devils and spirits in it, and they
should all be carried away and devoured. They hallooed again, and
called their two comrades by their names a great many times; but no
answer. After some time, we could see them, by the little light there
was, run about, wringing their hands like men in despair; and
sometimes they would go and sit down in the boat to rest themselves,
then come ashore again, and walk about again, and so the same thing
over again. My men would fain have had me give them leave to fall upon
them at once in the dark; but I was willing to take them at some
advantage, so as to spare them, and kill as few of them as I could;
and especially I was unwilling to hazard the killing of any of our
men, knowing the others were very well armed. I resolved to wait, to
see if they did not separate; and therefore, to make sure of them, I
drew my ambuscade nearer. We came upon them, indeed, in the dark, so
that they could not see our number; and I made the man they had left
in the boat, who was now one of us, to call them by name, to try if I
could bring them to a parley, and so perhaps might reduce them to
terms; which fell out just as we desired: for, indeed, it was easy to
think, as their condition then was, they would be very willing to
capitulate. So he calls out as loud as he could to one of them, "Tom
Smith! Tom Smith!" Tom Smith answered immediately, "Is that Robinson?"
for it seems he knew the voice. The other answered, "Ay, ay; for God's
sake, Tom Smith, throw down your arms and yield, or you are all dead
men this moment." "Who must we yield to? Where are they?" says Smith
again. "Here they are," says he; "here's our captain and fifty men
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account