dge, and, having them brought before me; I told them,
that if they had been of my country, I would have hanged every mother's
son of them, but since it was an Englishman (meaning you, kind Sir,) to
whom we were indebted for our preservation and deliverance, I would, in
gratitude, use them with all possible mildness, but at the same time
leave them to the judgment of the other two Englishmen who, I hoped,
forgetting their resentments, would deal impartially by them.'

"Hereupon one of his countrymen stood up: _Sir_, said he, _leave it not
for us, for you may be sensible we have reason to sentence them to the
gallows: besides, Sir, this fellow, Will Atkins, and the two others,
proposed to us, that we might murder you all in your sleep, which we
could not consent to: but knowing their inability, and your vigilance,
we did not think fit to discover it before now._

"_How, Signor_, said I, _do you hear what is alledged against you? What
can you say to justify so horrid an action, as to murder us in cold
blood?_ So far, Sir, was the wretch from denying it, that he swore,
_damn him but he would do it still. But what have we done to you, Seignor
Atkins_, said I, _or what will you gain by killing us? What shall we do
to prevent you? Must we kill you, or you kill us? Why will you Seignor
Atkins,_ said I, smiling, _put us to such an unhappy dilemma, such a
fatal necessity?_ But so great a rage did my scoffing and yet severe
jest put him into, that he was going to fly at me and undoubtedly had
attempted to kill me if he had been possessed of weapons, and had not
been prevented by three Spaniards. This unparalleled and villainous
carriage, made us seriously consider what was to be done. The two
Englishmen and the Spaniard, who had saved the poor Indian's life,
mightily petitioned me to hang one of them, for an example to the
others, which should be him that had twice attempted to commit murder
with his hatchet, it being at that time thought impossible the poor
slave should recover. But they could never gain my consent to put him to
death, for the reasons above mentioned, since it was an Englishman (even
yourself) who was my deliverer; and as merciful counsels are most
prevailing when earnestly pressed, so I got them to be of the same
opinion as to clemency. But to prevent them doing us any farther
mischief; we all agreed, that they should have no weapons, as sword,
gun, powder, or shot, but be expelled from the society, to live as t