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20 - Robinson Crusoe - Daniel Defoe · Classic Adventure Books Collection

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Twenty fight between Friday and a bear. But never was a fight managed so
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heartily and in such a surprising manner as that which followed between Friday and the
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bear, which gave us all, though at first we were surprised and afraid
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for him, the greatest diversion imaginable. As the bear is a heavy,
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clumsy creature and does not gallop as the wolf does, who is swift and
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light, so he has two particular qualities which generally are the rule of his
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actions. First, as to men who are not his proper prey, he
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does not usually attempt them, except they first attack him, unless he be
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excessively hungry, which it is probable might now be the case the ground being
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covered with snow. If you do not meddle with him, he will not
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meddle with you. But then you must take care to be very civil to
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him and give him the road, for he is a very nice gentleman.
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He will not go a step out of his way for a prince. Nay,
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if you are really afraid, your best way is to look around another
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way to go, and keep going. For sometimes if you stop and stand
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still and look steadfastly at him, he takes it for it and affront.
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But if you throw or toss anything at him, though it were but a
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stick as big as your finger, he thinks himself abused, and sets all
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other business aside to pursue his revenge, and will have his satisfaction in point
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of honor. That is his first quality. Is if he be once affronted,
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he will never leave you night or day till he has his revenge,
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but follows at a good round rate till he overtakes you. My man Friday
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had delivered our guide, and when we came up to him, he was
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helping him off his horse, for the man was both hurt and frightened.
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When on a sudden we espied the bear come out of the wood, and
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a monstrous one. It was the biggest, by far that ever I saw.
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We were all a little surprised when we saw him, but when Friday
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saw him, it was easy to see joy and courage in the fellow's countenance.
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Oh oh, oh, says Friday, three times, pointing to him,
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Oh master, you give me to leave me, shaking a hand with
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him, me making you good laugh. I was surprised to see the fellow
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so well pleased. You fool, says I, he will eat you up,
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eating me up, eating me up, says Friday, twice over again,
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Me eating him up, Me making you good. Laugh you all,
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stay here, me show you good laugh. So down he sits and gets
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off his boots in a moment, and puts on a pair of pumps,
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as we call the flat shoes they wear, and which he had in his
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pocket. Gives my other servant his horse, and with his gun away he
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flew swift like the wind. The bear was walking softly on and offered to
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meddle with nobody till Friday, coming pretty near, calls to him as if
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the bear could understand him. Harkye, harkye, says Friday, me speaking
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with you. He followed at a distance. For now, being down on
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the gasconing side of the mountains, we were entered a vast forest where there
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was country plain and pretty open, though it had many trees in it,
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scattered here and there. Friday, who had, as we say, the
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heels of the bear, came up with him quickly and took up a great
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stone and threw it at him and hit him just on the head, but
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did him no more harm than if he had thrown it against a wall.
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But it, answered Friday's, and for the rogue was so void of fear
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that he did it purely to make the bear follow him and show us some
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laugh, as he called it. As soon as the bear felt the blow
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and saw him, he turns about and comes after him, taking very long
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strides and shuffling on a strange rate, so as he would have put a
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horse to a middling gallop. Away reigns Friday and takes his course as if
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he ran towards us for help. So we all resolved to fire at once
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upon the bear and deliver my man. Though I was angry at him for
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bringing the bear back upon us when he was going about his own business another
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way, and especially I was angry that he had turned the bear upon us
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and then ran away. And I called out, you dog, is this
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making us laugh? Come away and take your horse, that we may shoot
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the creature. He heard me and cried out, no shoot, no shoot,
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Stand still and you get much laugh. And as the nimble creature read
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two feet for the bear's one, he turned on a sudden on one side
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of us, and, seeing a great oak tree fit for his purpose,
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he beckoned us to follow, and doubling his pace, he got nimbly up
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the tree, laying his gun down upon the ground at about five or six
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yards from the bottom of the tree. The bear soon came to the tree,
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and we followed at a distance. The first thing he did he stopped
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at the gun, smelt at it, but let it lie, and up
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he scrambles into the tree, climbing like a cat, though so monstrous heavy.
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I was amazed at the folly as I thought it of my man,
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and could not for my life see anything specially to laugh at, till seeing
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the bear get up the tree, we all rode near to him. When
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we came to the tree there was Friday got out on the small end of
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a large branch, and the bear got out about halfway to him. And
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as soon as the bear got out to that part where the limb of the
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tree was weaker, hah, says he to us. Now you see me
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teaching the bear dance. So he began jumping and shaking the bough, at
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which the bear began to totter, but stood still and began to look behind
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him to see how he should get back. Then, indeed we did laugh
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heartily, but Friday had not done with him. By a great deal.
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When seeing him stand still, he called out to him again, and as
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if he had supposed the bear could speak English, what you come no farther?
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Pray, you come farther. So he left, jumping and shaking the
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tree, and the bear, just as if he understood what he said,
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did come a little farther. Then he began jumping again, and the bear
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stopped again. We thought now was a good time to knock him in the
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head, and called to Friday to stand still, and we would shoot the
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bear. But he cried out earnestly, oh pray, oh pray, no
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shoot me, shoot by, and then he would have said, by and
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by. However, to shorten the story, Friday danced so much, and
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the bear stood so ticklish that we had laughing enough, but still could not
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imagine what the fellow would do. For first we thought he depended upon shaking
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the bear off, and we found the bear was too cunning for that too,
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for he would not go out far enough to be thrown down, but
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clung fast with his great broad claws and feet, so that we could not
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imagine what would be the end of it, and what the jest of it
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would be. At last, but Friday put us out of doubt quickly,
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for seeing the bear cling fast to the bow, and that he would not
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be persuaded to come any farther. Well, well, says Friday, you
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come no farther me go, you know, come to me, me,
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come to you. And upon this he went out to the smaller end where
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it would bend with his weight, and gently let himself down by it,
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sliding down the bow till he came near enough to jump down on his feet,
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and away he ran to his gun, took it up and stood still.
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Well, said I to Friday, What will you do now? Why
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don't you shoot him? No? Shoot, says Friday, No yet me
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shoot now me? No kill mestay give you one more laugh? And indeed
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so he did, For when the bear saw his enemy gone, he came
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back from the bow where he stood, but did it very cautiously, looking
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behind him every step, and coming backward till he got on to the body
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of the tree. Then, with the same hinder end foremost, he came
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down the tree, grasping it with his claws and moving one foot at a
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time, very leisurely. At this juncture, and just before he could set
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his hind foot on the ground, Friday stepped up close to him, clapped
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the muzzle of his piece into his ear, and shot him dead. Then
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the rogue turned about to see if we did not laugh, and when he
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saw we were pleased by our looks, he began to laugh very loud.
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So we killed bear in my country, says Friday. So you kill them,
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says I. Why you have no guns? No, says he,
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no gun, but shoot great, much long arrow. This was a good
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diversion to us, but we were still in a wild place, and our
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guide very much hurt. And what to do we hardly knew. The hauling
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of wolves ran much in my head, And indeed, except the noise I
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once heard on the shore of Africa, of which I have said something already,
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I never heard anything that filled me with such horror. These things,
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and the approach of night called us off or else, as Friday would have
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had us, we would certainly have taken the skin of this monstrous creature off,
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which was worth saving. But we had near three leagues to go,
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and our guide hastened us, so we left him and went forward on our
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journey. The ground was still covered with snow, though not so deep and
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dangerous as on the mountains, and the ravenous creatures, as we heard afterwards,
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were come down into the plain country, pressed by hunger to seek for
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food, and had done a great deal of mischief in the villages where they
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surprised the country people, killed a great many of their sheep and horses,
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and some people too. We had one dangerous place to pass, and our
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guide told us if there were more wolves in the country, we should find
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them there. And this was a small plain surrounded with woods on every side,
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and a long narrow defile or lane, which we were to pass to
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get through the wood, and then we were to come to the village where
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we were to lodge. It was within half an hour of sunset when we
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entered the wood, and a little after sunset when we came into the plain.
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We met with nothing in the first wood, except that in a little
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plain within the wood, which was not above two furlongs over, we saw
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five great wolves cross the road full speed, one after another, as if
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they had been in chase of some prey and had it in view. They
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took no notice of us, and were gone quite out of sight in a
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few moments. Upon this, our guide, who by the way, was
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but a faint hearted fellow bid us keep in a ready posture, for he
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believed there were more wolves coming. We kept our arms ready and our eyes
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about us, but we saw no more wolves till we came through that wood,
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which was near half a league, and entered the plain. As soon
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as we came into the plane, we had occasion enough to look about us.
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The first object we met was with a dead horse, that is to
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say, a poor horse, which the wolves had killed, and at least
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a dozen of them at work. We could not say eating him, but
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picking his bones rather, for they had eaten up all the flesh before.
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We did not think fit to disturb them at their feast. Neither did they
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take much notice of us. Friday would have let fly at them, but
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I would not suffer him by any means, for I found we were like
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to have more business upon our hands than we were aware of. We had
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not gone half over the plane when we began to hear the wolves howl in
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the wood on our left in a frightful manner. And presently after we saw
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about a hundred coming on directly towards us, all in a body, and
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most of them in a line, as regularly as an army drawn up by
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experienced officers. I scarce knew in what manner to receive them, but found
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to draw ourselves in a close line was the only way. So we formed
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in a moment, But that we might not have too much interval, I
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ordered that only every other man should fire, and that the others who had
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not fired should stand ready to give them a second volley immediately if they continued
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to advance upon us, And then that those that had fired at first should
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not pretend to load their fuses again, but stand ready everyone with a pistol.
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For we were all armed with a few si and a pair of pistols
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each man. So we were by this method able to fire six volleys,
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half of us at a time. However, at present we had no necessity,
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for upon firing the first folly, the enemy made a full stop,
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being so terrified as well with the noise as with the fire. Four of
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them being shot in the head, dropped. Several others were wounded and went
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bleeding off, as we could see by the snow. I they stopped,
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but did not immediately retreat, Whereupon, remembering that I had been told that
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the fiercest creatures were terrified at the voice of a man. I caused all
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the company to hello as loud as they all could, and I found the
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notion not altogether mistaken, for upon our shout they began to retire and turn
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about. I then ordered a second volley to be fired in their rear,
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which made them to gallop, and away they went to the woods. This
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gave us leisure to charge our pieces again, and that we might lose no
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time, we kept going. But we had but little more than loaded our
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fuss and put ourselves in readiness when we heard a terrible noise in the same
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wood on our left, only that it was farther onward, the same way
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we were to go. The night was coming on, and the light began
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to be dusky, which made it worse on our side, but the noise
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increasing, we could easily perceive that it was the howling and yelling of those
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hellish creatures. And on a sudden we perceived three troops of wolves, one
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on our left, one behind us, and one in our front, so
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that we seemed to be surrounded with them. However, as they did not
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fall upon us, we kept our way forward as fast as we could make
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our horses go, which the way being very rough, was only a good
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hard trot. In this manner. We came in view of the entrance of
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a wood through which we were to pass at the farther side of the plane.
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But we were greatly surprised when coming near the lane or pass, we
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saw a confused number of wolves standing just at the entrance. On a sudden
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at another opening of the wood, we heard the noise of a gun,
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and looking that way, out rushed a horse with a saddle and a bridle
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on him, flying like the wind, and sixteen or seventeen wolves after him
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full speed. The horse had the advantage of them, but as we supposed
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that he could not hold it at that rate, we doubted not but that
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they would get up with him at last, no question, but they did,
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and here we had a most horrible sight, for riding up to the
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entrance where the horse came out, we found the carcasses of another horse and
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of two men, devoured by the ravenous creatures. And one of the men
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was no doubt the same whom we heard fire the gun, for there lay
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a gun just by him, fired off. But as to the man,
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his head and the upper part of his body was eaten up. This filled
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us with horror, and we knew not what course to take. But the
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creatures resolved us soon, for they gathered about us presently in hopes of prey,
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and I verily believe there were three hundred of them. It happened very
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much to our advantage that at the entrance into the wood, but a little
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way from it, there lay some large timber trees which had been cut down
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the summer before, and I suppose lay there for a carriage. I drew
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my little troop in among those trees, and, placing ourselves in a line
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behind one long tree, I advised them all to a light and keep that
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tree before us for our breastwork, to stand in a triangle or three fronts,
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in closing our horses in the center. We did so, and it
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was well we did, for never was a more furious charge than the creatures
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made upon us in this place. They came on with a growling kind of
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noise, and mounted the piece of timber, which, as I said,
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was our breastwork, as if they were only rushing upon their prey. And
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this fury of theirs, it seems, was principally occasioned by their scene our
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horses behind us. I ordered our men to fire, as before every other
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man, and they took their aim so sure that they killed several of the
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wolves at the first volley. But there was a necessity to keep a continual
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firing, for they came on like devils, those behind, pushing on those
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before. When we fired a second volley of our few seas, we thought
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they stopped a little, and I hoped they would have gone off. But
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it was but a moment, for others came forward again. So we fired
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two volleys of our pistols, and I believe in these four firings we had
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killed seventeen or eighteen of them, and lamed twice as many. Yet they
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came on again. I was loath to spend our shot too hastily, so
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I called my servant, not my man Friday, for he was better employed,
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for with the greatest dexterity imaginable, he had charged Mi fu See and
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his own while we were engaged. But as I said, I called my
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other man, and giving him a horn of powder, I had him lay
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a trail all along the piece of timber and let it be a large train.
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He did so, and had but just time to get away when the
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wolves came up to it, and some got upon it, when I,
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snapping an uncharged pistol close to the powder, set it on fire. Those
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that were upon the timber were scorched with it, and six or seven of
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them fell, or rather jumped in among us. With the force and fright
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of the We dispatched these in an instant, and the rest were so frightened
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with the light, which the night it was now nearly dark, made more
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terrible, that they drew back a little, upon which I ordered our last
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pistols to be fired off in one volley, and after that we gave a
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shout. Upon this the wolves turned tail, and we sallied immediately upon near
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twenty lame ones that we found struggling on the ground, and fell to cutting
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them with our sword, which answered our expectation, for the crying and howling
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they made was better understood by their fellows, so that they all fled and
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left us. We had first and last killed about three score of them,
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and had it been daylight, we had killed many more. The field of
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battle being thus cleared, we made forward again, for we had still near
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a league to go. We heard the ravenous creatures howl and yell in the
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woods as we went several times, and sometimes we fancied we saw some of
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them, but the snow dazzling our eyes, we were not certain. In
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about an hour more we came to the town where we were to lodge,
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which we found in a terrible fright, and all in arms, for it
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seems the night before the wolves and some bears had broken into the village and
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put them in such terror that they were obliged to keep guard night and day,
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but especially in the night, to preserve their cattle and indeed their people.
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The next morning, our guide was so ill, and his limbs swelled
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so much with the rankling of his two wounds, that he could not go
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further. So we were obliged to take a new guide here and go to
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Toulouse, where we found a warm climate, a fruitful, pleasant country,
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and no snow, no wolves nor anything like them. But when we told
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our story yet Toulouse, they told us it was nothing but what was ordinary
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in the great forest at the foot of the mountains, especially when the snow
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lay on the ground. But they inquired much what kind of guide we had
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got who would venture to bring us that way in such a severe season.
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He told us it was surprising we were not all devoured. When we told
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them how we placed ourselves and the horses in the middle, they blamed us
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exceedingly and told us it was fifty to one, but we had all been
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destroyed. For it was the sight of the horses which made the wolves so
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furious seeing their prey, and that at other times they were really afraid of
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a gun, but being excessively hungry and raging on that account, the eagerness
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to come at the horses had made them senseless of danger. And that if
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we had not, by the continual fire, and at last by the stratagem
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of the train of powder, mastered them, it had been great odds,
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but that we had been torn to pieces. Whereas had we been content to
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have sat still on horseback and fired as horsemen, they would not have taken
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the horses so much for their own when men were on their backs. As
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otherwise and withal, they told us that at last, if we had stood
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all together and left our horses, they would have been so eager to have
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devoured them, that we might have come off safe, especially having our firearms
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in our hands, being so many in number. For my part, I
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never was so sensible of danger in my life. For seeing above three hundred
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devils come roaring and open mouthed to devour us, and having nothing to show
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shelter us or to retreat to, I gave myself over for lost. And
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as it was, I believe I shall never care to cross those mountains again.
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I think I would much rather go a thousand leagues by sea, though
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I was sure to meet with a storm once a week. I have nothing
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uncommon to take notice of in my passage through France, nothing but what other
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travelers have given an account of. With much more advantage than I can,
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I traveled from Toulouse to Paris, and without any considerable stay, came to
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Calais and landed safe at Dover the fourteenth of January. After having had a
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severe cold season to travel in. I was now come to the center of
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my travels, and had in a little time all my newly discovered estate safe
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about me, the bills of exchange, which I brought with me, having
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been currently paid. My principal guide and privy councilor was my good ancient widow,
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who, in gratitude for the money I had sent her, thought no
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pains too much nor care too great to employ for me. And I trusted
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her so entirely that I was perfectly easy as to the security of my effects.
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And indeed I was very happy from the beginning and now to the end,
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in the unspotted integrity of this good gentlewoman. And now having resolved to
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dispose of my plantation in the Brazils, I wrote to my old friend at
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Lisbon, who, having offered it to the two merchants the survivors of my
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trustees, who lived in the Brazils. They accepted the offer and remitted thirty
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three thousand pieces of eight to a correspondent of Theirs at Lisbon to pay for
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it. In return, I signed the instrument of sale in the form which
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they sent from Lisbon, and sent it to my old man, who sent
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me the bills of exchange for thirty two thousand, eight hundred pieces of eight
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for the estate, reserving the payment of one hundred moidores a year to him
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the old man during his life, and fifty moidores afterwards to his son for
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his life, which I had promised them, and which the plantation was to
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make good as a rent charge. And thus I have given the first part
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of a life of fortune and adventure, a life of Providence's checker work,
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and of a variety which the world will seldom be able to show. The
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like of beginning foolishly, but closing much more more happily than any part of
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it ever gave me leave so much as to hope. For anyone would think
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that, in this state of complicated good fortune, I was past running any
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more hazards, And so indeed I had been if other circumstances had occurred.
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But I was inured to a wandering life. Had no family, nor many
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relations, nor however rich, had I contracted fresh acquaintance. And though I
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had sold my estate and the Brazils, yet I could not keep that country
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out of my head, and had a great mind to be upon the wing
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again. Especially, I could not resist the strong inclination I had to see
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my island, and to know if the poor Spaniards were in being there.
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My true friend, the widow, earnestly dissuaded me from it, and so
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far prevailed with me that for almost seven years she prevented my running abroad,
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during which time I took my two nephews, the children of one of my
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brothers, into my care. The eldest, having something of his own,
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I bred up as a gentleman and gave him a settlement of some addition to
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his estate after my decease. The other I placed with the captain of a
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ship, and after five years, finding him a sensible, bold, enterprising
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young fellow, I put him into a good ship and sent him to sea.
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And this young fellow afterwards drew me in as old as I was,
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to further adventures myself. In the meantime, I in part settled myself here.
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For first of all, I married, and that not either to my
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disadvantage or dissatisfaction, and had three children, two sons and one daughter.
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But my wife dying and my nephew coming home with good success from a voyage
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to Spain, my inclination to go abroad, and his importunity prevailed and engaged
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me to go in his ship as a private trader to the East Indies.
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This was in the year sixteen ninety four. In this voyage I visited my
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new colony in the island, saw my successors. The Spaniards had the old
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story of their lives and of the villains I left there. How at first
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they insulted the poor Spaniards, how they afterwards agreed, disagreed, united,
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separated, and how at last the Spaniards were obliged to use violence with them,
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how they were subjected to the Spaniards, how honestly the Spaniards used them
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a history, if it were entered into, as full of variety and wonderful
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accidents as my own part, particularly also as to their battles with the Caribbeans,
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who landed several times upon the island, and as to the improvement they
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made upon the island itself, and how five of them made an attempt upon
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the mainland and brought away eleven men and five women prisoners, by which at
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my coming I found about twenty young children on the island. Here I stayed
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about twenty days, left them supplies of all necessary things, and particularly of
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arms, powder, shot, clothes, tools, and two workmen, which
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I brought for them from England, that is, a carpenter and a smith.
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Besides this, I shared the land into parts with them, reserved to
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myself the property of the whole, but gave them such parts respectively as they
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agreed upon. And having settled all things with them, and engaged them not
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to leave the place, I left them there. From thence I touched at
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the Brazils, from whence I sent a barque which I bought there with more
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people to the island, and in it, besides other supplies, I sent
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seven women, beings such as I found proper for service or for wives,
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to such as would take them. As to the Englishmen, I promised to
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send them some women from England with a good cargo of necessaries, if they
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would apply themselves to planting, which I afterwards could not perform. The fellows
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proved very honest and diligent. After they were mastered and had their properties set
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apart for them, I sent them also from the Brazils, five cows,
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three of them being big with calf, some sheep, and some hogs,
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which when I came again, were considerably increased. But all these things with
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an account of how three hundred Caribees came and invaded them and ruined their plantations,
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and how they fought with that whole number twice, and were at first
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defeated and one of them killed, but at last a storm destroying their enemy's
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canoes, they famished or destroyed almost all the rest, and renewed and recovered
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the possession of their plantation, and still lived upon the island. All these
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things, with some very surprising incidents, in some new adventures of my own
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for ten years more. I shall give a farther account in the second part
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of my story, end of chapter twenty and of Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe