It happened one night that the governor, the Spaniard whose life I had
saved, who was now the governor of the rest, found himself very uneasy in
the night, and could by no means get any sleep: he was perfectly well in
body, only found his thoughts tumultuous; his mind ran upon men fighting
and killing one another; but he was broad awake, and could not by any
means get any sleep; in short, he lay a great while, but growing more and
more uneasy, he resolved to rise. As they lay, being so many of them, on
goat-skins laid thick upon such couches and pads as they made for
themselves, so they had little to do, when they were willing to rise, but
to get upon their feet, and perhaps put on a coat, such as it was, and
their pumps, and they were ready for going any way that their thoughts
guided them. Being thus got up, he looked out; but being dark, he could
see little or nothing, and besides, the trees which I had planted, and
which were now grown tall, intercepted his sight, so that he could only
look up, and see that it was a starlight night, and hearing no noise, he
returned and lay down again; but to no purpose; he could not compose
himself to anything like rest; but his thoughts were to the last degree
uneasy, and he knew not for what. Having made some noise with rising and
walking about, going out and coming in, another of them waked, and asked
who it was that was up. The governor told him how it had been with him.
"Say you so?" says the other Spaniard; "such things are not to be
slighted, I assure you; there is certainly some mischief working near
us;" and presently he asked him, "Where are the Englishmen?" "They are
all in their huts," says he, "safe enough." It seems the Spaniards had
kept possession of the main apartment, and had made a place for the three
Englishmen, who, since their last mutiny, were always quartered by
themselves, and could not come at the rest. "Well," says the Spaniard,
"there is something in it, I am persuaded, from my own experience. I am
satisfied that our spirits embodied have a converse with and receive
intelligence from the spirits unembodied, and inhabiting the invisible
world; and this friendly notice is given for our advantage, if we knew
how to make use of it. Come, let us go and look abroad; and if we find
nothing at all in it to justify the trouble, I'll tell you a story to the
purpose, that shall convince you of the justice of my proposing it."
They went out presently to go up to the top of the hill, where I used to
go; but they being strong, and a good company, nor alone, as I was, used
none of my cautions to go up by the ladder, and pulling it up after them,
to go up a second stage to the top, but were going round through the
grove unwarily, when they were surprised with seeing a light as of fire,
a very little way from them, and hearing the voices of men, not of one or
two, but of a great number.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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