unt,
that it set my blood into a ferment, and my pulse beat high, as though I
had been in a fever; till nature being, as it were, fatigued and
exhausted with the thoughts of it, made me submit myself to a
silent repose.

In such a situation, it is very strange, that I did not dream of what I
was so intent upon; but, instead of it, my mind roved on a quite
different thing, altogether foreign. I dreamed, that as I was issuing
from my castle one morning, as customary, when I perceived upon the
shore two canoes, and eleven savages coming to land, who had brought
with them another Indian, whom they designed to make a sacrifice of, in
order to devour; but just as they were going to give the fatal blow,
methought the poor designed victim jumped away, and ran directly into my
little thick grove before my fortification, to abscond from his enemies,
when perceiving that the others did not follow him that way, I appeared
to him; that he humbly kneeled down before me, seeming to pray for my
assistance; upon which I showed him my ladder, made him ascend, carried
him to my cave, and he became my servant; and when I had gotten this
man, I said to myself, _now surely I may have some hopes to attain the
main land; for this fellow will serve me as a pilot, tell me what to do,
and where I must go for provisions, what places to shun, what to venture
to, and what to escape._ But when I awaked, and found all these
inexpressible impressions of joy entirely vanished, I fell into the
greatest dejection of spirit imaginable.

Yet this dream brought me to reflect, that one sure way of escaping was
to get a savage; that after I had ventured my life to deliver him from
the bloody jaws of his devourers, the natural sense he might have of
such a preservation, might inspire him with a lasting gratitude and most
sincere affection. But then this objection reasonably interposed: _how
can I effect this,_ thought I, _without I attack a whole company of
them, and kill them all? why should I proceed on such a desperate
attempt, which my scruples before had suggested to be unlawful?_ and
indeed my heart trembled at the thoughts of so much blood, though it
were a means to procure my deliverance. 'Tis true, I might reasonably
enough suppose these men to be real enemies to my life, men who would
devour me, was it in their power, so that it was self preservation in
the highest degree to free myself, by attacking them in my own defence,
as lawfully as if they we