ither, and find him there. However
my spirits, beginning to recover, I still kept upon my guard; and I now
plainly perceived, there were but three men out of the number that
pursued him. I was infinitely pleased with what swiftness the poor
creature ran from his pursuers, gaining so much ground upon them, that I
plainly perceived, could he thus hold out for half an hour, there was
not the least doubt but he would save his life from the power of
his enemies.

Between them and my castle there was a creek, that very same which I
sailed into with all my effects from the wreck of the ship on the steep
banks of which I very much feared the poor victim would be taken, if he
could not swim for his escape: but soon was I out of pain for him, when
I perceived he made nothing of it, though at full tide, but with an
intrepid courage, spurred on by the sense of danger, he plunged into the
flood, swimming over in about thirty strokes, and then landing, ran with
the same incredible strength and swiftness as before. When the three
pursuers came to the creek, one of them, who I perceived could not swim,
happily for his part, returned to his company, while the others, with
equal courage, but much less swiftness attained the other side, as
though they were resolved never to give over the pursuit. And now or or
never I thought was the time for me to procure me a servant, companion,
or assistant; and that I was decreed by Providence to be the instrument
to save this poor creature's life. I immediately descended my two
ladders with the greatest expedition: I took up my two guns, which, I
said before, were at the bottom of them, and getting up again with the
same haste towards the hill, I made nearer the sea. In a word, taking a
short cut down the hill, I interposed between the pursuers and pursued,
hallooing aloud to the latter, who, venturing to look back, was, no
doubt, as much terrified at me as I at them. I beckoned to him with my
hand, to return back, in the mean time advancing towards the pursuers,
and rushing 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 hi