that the other savages would not
pursue him thither and find him there. However, I kept my station, and
my spirits began to recover when I found that there was not above three
men that followed him; and still more was I encouraged, when I found that
he outstripped them exceedingly in running, and gained ground on them; so
that, if he could but hold out for half-an-hour, I saw easily he would
fairly get away from them all.

There was between them and my castle the creek, which I mentioned often
in the first part of my story, where I landed my cargoes out of the ship;
and this I saw plainly he must necessarily swim over, or the poor wretch
would be taken there; but when the savage escaping came thither, he made
nothing of it, though the tide was then up; but plunging in, swam through
in about thirty strokes, or thereabouts, landed, and ran with exceeding
strength and swiftness. When the three persons came to the creek, I
found that two of them could swim, but the third could not, and that,
standing on the other side, he looked at the others, but went no farther,
and soon after went softly back again; which, as it happened, was very
well for him in the end. I observed that the two who swam were yet more
than twice as strong swimming over the creek as the fellow was that fled
from them. It came very warmly upon my thoughts, and indeed
irresistibly, that now was the time to get me a servant, and, perhaps, a
companion or assistant; and that I was plainly called by Providence to
save this poor creature's life. I immediately ran down the ladders with
all possible expedition, fetched my two guns, for they were both at the
foot of the ladders, as I observed before, and getting up again with the
same haste to the top of the hill, I crossed towards the sea; and having
a very short cut, and all down hill, placed myself in the way between the
pursuers and the pursued, hallowing aloud to him that fled, who, looking
back, was at first perhaps as much frightened at me as at them; but I
beckoned with my hand to him to come back; and, in the meantime, I slowly
advanced towards the two that followed; then rushing at once upon the
foremost, I knocked him down with the stock of my piece. I was loath to
fire, because I would not have the rest hear; though, at that distance,
it would not have been easily heard, and being out of sight of the smoke,
too, they would not have known what to make of it. Having knocked this
fellow down, the ot