Робинзон Крузо
The Ship Recovered
TheywerejustgoingintotheboatwhenFridayandthematehallooed; andtheypresentlyheardthem,andanswering,runalongtheshorewestward,towardsthevoicetheyheard,whentheywerepresentlystoppedbythecreek,wherethewaterbeingup, theycouldnotgetover,andcalledfortheboattocomeupandsetthemover,as,indeed,Iexpected.
Whentheyhidsetthemselvesover,Iobservedthattheboatbeinggoneupagoodwayintothecreek,and,asitwere,inaharborwithintheland,theytookoneofthethreemenoutofhertogoalongwiththem,andleftonlytwointheboat,havingfastenedhertothestumpofalittletreeontheshore.
ThiswaswhatIwishedfor; andimmediatelyleavingFridayandthecaptain’smatetotheirbusiness,Itooktherestwithme,andcrossingthecreekoutoftheirsight,wesurprisedthetwomenbeforetheywereaware; oneofthemlyingonshore,andtheotherbeingintheboat. Thefellowonshorewasbetweensleepingandwaking,andgoingtostartup. Thecaptain,whowasforemost,raninuponhim,andknockedhimdown,andthencalledouttohimintheboattoyield,orhewasadeadman.
Thereneededveryfewargumentstopersuadeasinglemantoyieldwhenhesawfivemenuponhim,andhiscomradeknockeddown; besides,thiswas,itseems,oneofthethreewhowerenotsoheartyinthemutinyastherestofthecrew,andthereforewaseasilypersuaded,notonlytoyield,butafterwardstojoinverysincerelywithus.
Inthemeantime,Fridayandthecaptain’smatesowellmanagedtheirbusinesswiththerest,thattheydrewthem, byhallooingandanswering,fromonehilltoanother,andfromonewoodtoanother,tilltheynotonlyheartilytiredthem,butleftthemwheretheywereverysuretheycouldnotreachbacktotheboatbeforeitwasdark; and,indeed,theywereheartilytiredthemselvesalsobythetimetheycamebacktous.
