Робинзон Крузо
The Ship Recovered
Wehadnothingnowtodobuttowatchfortheminthedark,andtofalluponthem,soastomakesureworkwiththem.
ItwasseveralhoursafterFridaycamebacktomebeforetheycamebacktotheirboat; andwecouldheartheforemostofthem,longbeforetheycamequiteup,callingtothosebehindtocomealong,andcouldalsohearthemanswerandcomplainhowlameandtiredtheywere,andnotabletocomeanyfaster; whichwasverywelcometous.
Atlengththeycameuptotheboat; butItisimpossibletoexpresstheirconfusionwhentheyfoundtheboatfastagroundinthecreek,thetideebbedout,andtheirtwomengone. Wecouldhearthemcalltooneanotherinamostlamentablemanner,tellingoneanothertheyweregottenintoanenchantedisland; thateithertherewereinhabitantsinit,andtheyshouldallbemurdered,orelsethereweredevilsandspiritsinit,andtheyshouldallbecarriedawayanddevoured.
Theyhallooedagain,andcalledtheirtwocomradesbytheirnamesagreatmanytimes;butnoanswer. Aftersometimewecouldseethem,bythelittlelighttherewas,runabout,wringingtheirhandslikemenindespair,andthatsometimestheywouldgoandsitdownintheboattorestthemselves;thencomeashoreagainandwalkaboutagain,andsothesamethingoveragain.
Mymenwouldfainhavemegivethemleavetofalluponthematonceinthedark; butIwaswillingtotakethematsomeadvantage,sotosparethem,andkillasfewofthemasIcould; andespeciallyIwasunwillingtohazardthekillinganyofourownmen,knowingtheotherwereverywellarmed.
