Робинзон Крузо
Slavery and escape
ItookthebestaimIcouldwiththefirstpiecetohaveshothiminthehead, buthelaysowithhislegraisedalittleabovehisnose,thattheslugshithislegaboutthekneeandbrokethebone.
Hestartedup,growlingatfirst,butfindinghislegbroken,felldownagain;andthengotuponthreelegs,andgavethemosthideousroarthateverIheard. IwasalittlesurprisedthatIhadnothithimonthehead; however,Itookupthesecondpieceimmediately,andthoughhebegantomoveoff,firedagain,andshothiminthehead, andhadthepleasuretoseehimdropandmakebutlittlenoise,butliestrugglingforlife. ThenXurytookheart,andwouldhavemelethimgoonshore. ‘Well,go,’saidI: sotheboyjumpedintothewaterandtakingalittleguninonehand,swamtoshorewiththeotherhand, andcomingclosetothecreature,putthemuzzleofthepiecetohisear,andshothimintheheadagain,whichdespatchedhimquite.
Thiswasgameindeedtous,butthiswasnofood;andIwasverysorrytolosethreechargesofpowderandshotuponacreaturethatwasgoodfornothingtous. However,Xurysaidhewouldhavesomeofhim;sohecomesonboard,andaskedmetogivehimthehatchet. ‘Forwhat,Xury?’saidI. ‘Mecutoffhishead,’saidhe. However,Xurycouldnotcutoffhishead,buthecutoffafoot,andbroughtitwithhim,anditwasamonstrousgreatone.
Ibethoughtmyself,however,that,perhapstheskinofhimmight,onewayorother,beofsomevaluetous;andIresolvedtotakeoffhisskinifIcould. SoXuryandIwenttoworkwithhim; butXurywasmuchthebetterworkmanatit,forIknewveryillhowtodoit. Indeed,ittookusbothupthewholeday,butatlastwegotoffthehideofhim,andspreadingitonthetopofourcabin,thesuneffectuallydrieditintwodays’time,anditafterwardsservedmetolieupon.
