Робинзон Крузо
Visit of Mutineers
"Well,"saysI, "myconditionsarebuttwo. 1.Thatwhileyoustayonthisislandwithme,youwillnotpretendtoanyauthorityhere; andifIputarmsintoyourhands,youwill,uponalloccasions,givethemuptome,anddonoprejudicetomeormineuponthisisland;andinthemeantimebegovernedbymyorders. 2.Thatiftheshipis,ormaybe,recovered,youwillcarrymeandmymantoEngland,passagefree."
Hegavemealltheassurancesthattheinventionandfaithofmancoulddevisethathewouldcomplywiththesemostreasonabledemands; and,besides,wouldowehislifetome,andacknowledgeituponalloccasions,aslongaslived.
"Wellthen,"saidI,"herearethreemusketsforyou,withpowderandball; tellmenextwhatyouthinkispropertobedone." Heshowedallthetestimonyofhisgratitudethathewasable,butofferedtobewhollyguidedbyme. Itoldhim Ithoughtitwashardventuringanything; butthebestmethodIcouldthinkofwastofireuponthematonce,astheylay; andifanywasnotkilledatthefirstvolley,andofferedtosubmit,wemightsavethem,andsoputitwhollyuponGod’sprovidencetodirecttheshot.
Hesaidverymodestlythathewaslothtokillthemifhecouldhelpit,butthatthosetwowereincorrigiblevillains,andhadbeentheauthorsofallthemutinyintheship,andiftheyescaped,weshouldbeundonestill; fortheywouldgoonboardandbringthewholeship’scompany,anddestroyusall. "Wellthen,"saysI,"necessitylegitimatesmyadvice,foritistheonlywaytosaveourlives." However,seeinghimstillcautiousofsheddingblood,Itoldhimtheyshouldgothemselves,andmanageastheyfoundconvenient.
