elf, but kept him at
night in a little tent outside the fence.

Friday was quite faithful, never sulky nor lazy, but always merry, and
ready to do anything that Robinson told him.

At first when they went out in the woods together, Friday was
terrified each time that Robinson's gun was fired. He had never seen
anything like it, and it was more than he could understand how things
could be killed merely by the noise and the flash of fire.

Friday told Robinson much about his country, and about his people, who
he said were Caribs. And a great way "beyond the moon," by which he
meant to the west, he said that white men lived who had beards such as
Robinson wore. These white men, he said, had killed very many natives,
from which Robinson fancied that they must be Spaniards, who about
that time were very cruel to the people whose countries they had
taken.

Robinson asked if Friday could tell him how he might get over to where
the white men lived, and Friday said it would be very easy, if they
had a big canoe, and again Robinson began to make plans and to hope to
escape from the island.

Some time after this Robinson and Friday chanced to be on the high
hill at the east end of the island. The day was very clear. Friday
gazed long over the sea, and then began to jump and dance, pointing to
the dim blue coast. "There my country! See! There my people live!" he
said, his eyes sparkling with joy, and an eager light on his face.

After this, for a time Robinson was not easy in his mind about Friday.
He had little doubt that if he could get back to his tribe, he would
soon forget all he had been taught, might even return with a hundred
or two of his friends, and kill and eat his master. But in this
Robinson was very unjust to Friday, who had no such thoughts in his
mind as those of which he was suspected. And this Robinson soon found
out. One day he asked Friday if he would not be glad to be once more
in his own land.

"Yes" said Friday; "very glad."

"Would you eat man's flesh again?"

"No, never," said Friday.

Then Robinson asked why he did not go back. Friday said he would go if
Robinson came too.

Then Robinson, who thought if he could reach other white men, he would
finally reach England, began to build a boat in which to leave the
island. Together he and Friday went to work to fell a tree, and Friday
soon showed that he knew far better than Robinson the kind of tree
best suited for boat-making. Robinson showed h