Робинзон Крузо
Fight Between Friday and a Bear
AwayrunsFriday,andtakeshiscourseasifheruntowardsusforhelp;soweallresolvedtofireatonceuponthebear,anddelivermyman;thoughIwasangryathimheartilyforbringingthebearbackuponus,whenhewasgoingabouthisownbusinessanotherway; andespeciallyIwasangrythathehadturnedthebearuponus,andthenrunaway;andIcalledout, "Youdog,"saidI,"isthisyourmakinguslaugh?Comeaway,andtakeyourhorse,thatwemayshootthecreature." Hehearsme,andcriesout, "Noshoot,noshoot;standstill,yougetmuchlaugh." Andasthenimblecreatureruntwofeetforthebeast’sone,heturnedonasudden,ononesideofus,andseeingagreatoaktreefitforhispurpose,hebeckonedtoustofollow;anddoublinghispace,hegetnimblyupthetree,layinghisgundownupontheground,ataboutfiveorsixyardsfromthebottomofthetree.
Thebearsooncametothetree,andwefollowedatadistance. Thefirstthinghedid,hestoppedatthegun,smelttoit,butletitlie,anduphescramblesintothetree,climbinglikeacat,thoughsomonstrouslyheavy. Iwasamazedatthefolly,asIthoughit,ofmyman,andcouldnotformylifeseeanythingtolaughatyet,tillseeingthebeargetupthetree,weallrodenearertohim.
Whenwecametothetree,therewasFridaygotouttothesmallendofalargelimbofthetree,andthebeargotabouthalfwaytohim. Assoonasthebeargotouttothatpartwherethelimbofthetreewasweaker, "Ha!"sayshetous,"nowyouseemeteacheethebeardance." Sohefallsa-jumpingandshakingthebough,atwhichthebearbegantototter,butstoodstill,andbegantolookbehindhim,toseehowheshouldgetback. Then,indeed,wedidlaughheartily.
