Robinson Crusoe

The poor man, with tears running down his face, and trembling, looking like one astonished, returned, «Am I talking to God or man? Is it a real man or an angel?» «Be in no fear about that, sir,» said I; «if God had sent an angel to relieve you, he would have come better clothed, and armed after another manner than you see me; pray lay aside your fears; I am a man, an Englishman, and disposed to assist you; you see I have one servant only; we have arms and ammunition; tell us freely, can we serve you? What is your case?» «Our case, sir,» said he, «is too long to tell you while our murderers are so near us; but, in short, sir, I was commander of that ship — my men have mutinied against me; they have been hardly prevailed on not to murder me, and, at last, have set me on shore in this desolate place, with these two men with me — one my mate, the other a passenger — where we expected to perish, believing the place to be uninhabited, and know not yet what to think of it.» «Where are these brutes, your enemies?» said I; «do you know where they are gone? There they lie, sir,» said he, pointing to a thicket of trees; «my heart trembles for fear they have seen us and heard you speak; if they have, they will certainly murder us all.» «Have they any firearms?» said I. He answered, «They had only two pieces, one of which they left in the boat.» «Well, then,» said I, «leave the rest to me; I see they are all asleep; it is an easy thing to kill them all; but shall we rather take them prisoners?» He told me there were two desperate villains among them that it was scarce safe to show any mercy to; but if they were secured, he believed all the rest would return to their duty. I asked him which they were. He told me he could not at that distance distinguish them, but he would obey my orders in anything I would direct. «Well,» says I, «let us retreat out of their view or hearing, lest they awake, and we will resolve further.» So they willingly went back with me, till the woods covered us from them.

«Look you, sir,» said I, «if I venture upon your deliverance, are you willing to make two conditions with me?» He anticipated my proposals by telling me that both he and the ship, if recovered, should be wholly directed and commanded by me in everything; and if the ship was not recovered, he would live and die with me in what part of the world soever I would send him; and the two other men said the same. «Well,» says I, «my conditions are but two; first, that while you stay in this island with me, you will not pretend to any authority here; and if I put arms in your hands, you will, upon all occasions, give them up to me, and do no prejudice to me or mine upon this island, and in the meantime be governed by my orders; secondly, that if the ship is or may be recovered, you will carry me and my man to England passage free.»

He gave me all the assurances that the invention or faith of man could devise that he would comply with these most reasonable demands, and besides would owe his life to me, and acknowledge it upon all occasions as long as he lived. «Well, then,» said I, «here are three muskets for you, with powder and ball; tell me next what you think is proper to be done.» He showed all the testimonies of his gratitude that he was able, but offered to be wholly guided by me. I told him I thought it was very hard venturing anything; but the best method I could think of was to fire on them at once as they lay, and if any were not killed at the first volley, and offered to submit, we might save them, and so put it wholly upon God`s providence to direct the shot. He said, very modestly, that he was loath to kill them if he could help it; but that those two were incorrigible villains, and had been the authors of all the mutiny in the ship, and if they escaped, we should be undone still, for they would go on board and bring the whole ship`s company, and destroy us all. «Well, then,» says I, «necessity legitimates my advice, for it is the only way to save our lives.» However, seeing him still cautious of shedding blood, I told him they should go themselves, and manage as they found convenient.