Робинзон Крузо
Slavery and escape
sothattheMoorsuseitfortheirhuntingonly,wheretheygolikeanarmy,twoorthreethousandmenatatime; andindeedfornearahundredmilestogetheruponthiscoastwesawnothingbutawaste,uninhabitedcountrybyday,andheardnothingbuthowlingsandroaringofwildbeastsbynight.
OnceortwiceinthedaytimeIthoughtIsawthePicoofTeneriffe,beingthehightopoftheMountainTeneriffeintheCanaries,andhadagreatmindtoventureout,inhopesofreachingthither; buthavingtriedtwice,Iwasforcedinagainbycontrarywinds,theseaalsogoingtoohighformylittlevessel; so,Iresolvedtopursuemyfirstdesign,andkeepalongtheshore.
SeveraltimesIwasobligedtolandforfreshwater,afterwehadleftthisplace; andonceinparticular,beingearlyinmorning,wecametoananchorunderalittlepointofland,whichwasprettyhigh; andthetidebeginningtoflow,welaystilltogofartherin. Xury,whoseeyesweremoreabouthimthanitseemsminewere,callssoftlytome,andtellsmethatwehadbestgofartherofftheshore; ‘For,’sayshe,‘look,yonderliesadreadfulmonsteronthesideofthathillock,fastasleep.’ Ilookedwherehepointed,andsawadreadfulmonsterindeed,foritwasaterrible,greatlionthatlayonthesideoftheshore,undertheshadeofapieceofthehillthathungasitwerealittleoverhim. ‘Xury,’saysI,‘youshallonshoreandkillhim.’ Xury,lookedfrighted,andsaid, ‘Mekill!heeatmeatonemouth!’-onemouthfulhemeant. However,Isaidnomoretotheboy,butbadehimliestill,andItookourbiggestgun,whichwasalmostmusket-bore,andloadeditwithagoodchargeofpowder,andwithtwoslugs,andlaiditdown; thenIloadedanothergunwithtwobullets;andthethird(forwehadthreepieces)Iloadedwithfivesmallerbullets.
