Chapter 8 Chapter Eight (1)

It was with this feeling of gratitude that I spent my last years on the island.In the three years I spent with Friday, because I had a lot of time to talk to him, I lived a life of complete happiness, if there is such a thing as "full happiness" in earthly life.The savage is now a devout Christian, even more devout than myself. Of course, I have every reason to hope, and for that I thank God, that we both can become true penitents, and take comfort in repentance, and be thoroughly reformed and reformed.Here we have the Bible to read, which means we are not far from the Holy Spirit and have access to his teachings, just like in England.

I often read the Bible, and tried to explain to him the meaning of those words in the Bible.Study hard and ask questions actively on Friday.This has allowed me to delve deeper and understand more about the Bible than one could read alone.I have mentioned this before.In addition, based on my experience of living in seclusion on the island, I have to offer a little bit of my own experience.I think that the understanding of God and the principles of Jesus’ salvation are written so clearly in the Bible, so easy to accept and understand. This is really an infinite and indescribable happiness for human beings.Because, just by reading the "Bible", you can make yourself aware of your responsibility, and go forward to take on such a major task: sincerely repent of your sins, rely on the Savior Jesus to save yourself, and transform yourself in practice , obey all instructions of God; and all these understandings are obtained without the help and teaching of others (the "others" here, I mean my own kind - human beings), and as long as you read the "Bible" Can learn without a teacher.

Moreover, this simple and clear teaching can also enlighten this savage and make him a devout Christian that I have rarely seen in my life. As for all the quarrels, entanglements, struggles, and debates that go on in the world about religion, whether it be the fine points of doctrine, or the stratagems of ecclesiastical administration, they are of no use to us.And, in my opinion, useless to the rest of the world.Our surest guide to heaven is the Bible - the language of God.Thank God, God's Holy Spirit teaches us in God's language, guides us to know the truth, and makes us obey God's instructions with sincerity.So it seems to me that it would be of no use to us, even if we were well aware of the religious strife that caused great confusion in the world.Now, let me continue to talk about some important things in the order they happened.

Friday and I became good friends, and he understood almost everything I said; although his own English was not very native, he was already quite fluent in conversing with me.At this time, I told him my life experience, especially how I came to this small island, how I lived here, how many years I have been here, and so on.I told him again the secret of powder and bullets, because, in his opinion, it was indeed a secret, and taught him how to shoot.I also gave him a knife, which he was delighted with.I made him another belt, and on it hung a sabre-loop, such as we use for saber-loops in England.However, in the ring, I did not let him wear a waist knife, but gave him an axe, because the ax is not only useful in battle, but also more useful in peacetime.

I told him about the situation in Europe, especially the situation in my hometown, England, how we live, how we worship God, how people get along with each other, and how to travel around the world by ship do business.I also told him what had happened to the ship I was in, and showed him the approximate place of the wreck.As for that boat, it was already smashed to pieces by the wind and waves, and now there is not even a shadow of it. I showed him again the wreck of the boat, the lifeboat that capsized when we were trying to escape.I tried to push it out to sea with all my might, but the boat wouldn't budge.Now the skiff was almost in pieces.When Friday saw the boat, he stood there in a daze for a while, without saying a word.I asked what he was thinking.He said, "I've seen boats like this come to our place." For a long time I couldn't understand what he meant.At last, after careful questioning, I understood what he meant: There had been a boat, exactly like this one, that had been docked where they lived, and, according to him, had been swept by a storm.From this, I immediately thought that this must be a European merchant ship wrecked on the sea near their coast. The small boat was driven away from the ship by the wind and waves and floated on their coast.At that time, my mind was so dull that it never occurred to me that someone might have escaped in a boat from the wreck to their side.As for who those people were, I certainly didn't even think about it.Therefore, I only want to describe the boat to me in detail on Friday.

Friday made the case of the dinghy very clear.Later, he added vigorously: "We have rescued some white people from the water." This gave me a better understanding of what he meant.I asked him right away if there were any white people in the boat.He said, "Yes, a boat full of white people." I asked him how many white people there were, and he told me with his fingers that there were seventeen in total.I asked them where they were now.He replied: "They are all alive, they live in our tribe." His words immediately made me have a new association.Those white men, I thought, must be the crew of the great ship which I had last seen in trouble on the island.After the big ship hit the rocks, they knew that the ship would sink sooner or later, so they escaped in small boats.They landed on a wild shore where savages live.

I therefore made further inquiries about the whereabouts of the white men.Friday told me repeatedly that they still live there now, and have lived there for four years.The savages did not bother them, but provided them with food.I asked him, why didn't they kill and eat those white people?Friday said, "No, we're brothers with them." My understanding of that is that there's a truce between them.Then, he added: "They only eat people during wars, and they don't usually eat people." That is to say, they only eat prisoners captured in wars, and usually don't eat people.

A long time after that, Friday and I chanced to walk up to the top of the hill on the east side of the island one fine day.There, also on a clear day, I saw the American continent.At that time, Friday, who had been gazing towards the mainland with all his attention for a while, suddenly began to dance unexpectedly, and called me over, because I happened to be away from him, and I was still a few steps away from him.I asked him what was the matter.He said, "Oh, I am so happy! I am so happy! I have seen my hometown, and I have seen my own tribe!" At this time, I saw an extraordinary joy on his face.His eyes gleamed with an expression of eager excitement and longing, as if he wanted to return at once to his native land.Seeing him in this state of mind, I started thinking wildly.I couldn't help being wary of Friday, and I didn't get on as well with him as I used to.I have no doubt that if Friday could go back to his tribe, he would forget not only his religion, but all his obligations to me.He will definitely tell the people in his tribe about my situation without hesitation, and maybe he will bring one or two hundred of his compatriots to the island and have a human feast with me.At that time, he must be as happy as eating a prisoner captured in war.

These thoughts of mine have greatly wronged the poor honest man.For that, I later felt very sorry to him.However, at that time, my doubts increased and could not be eliminated for several weeks.I took a lot of precautions against him, and I didn't treat him as friendly or affectionate as before.In doing so, I was terribly wrong again.In fact, he was as loyal and grateful as before, and he didn't think about these things at all.Later facts also proved that he is not only a devout Christian, but also a friend who knows how to reciprocate.This quality of his really satisfies me very much.

However, until my suspicion and fear of him have not been eliminated, I will test him every day, hoping that he will reveal his thoughts unintentionally to confirm my suspicion of him.But I found that every word he said was so honest and flawless that I couldn't find anything that could make me suspicious.So, despite my insecurities, he won my trust.During this period he saw nothing of my suspicions, nor did I have any grounds for suspecting that he was feigning. One day we walked up that hill again.But this time the sea was so foggy that the mainland could not be seen at all.I said to Friday, "Friday, don't you want to go back to your hometown, to your tribe?" He said, "Yes, I really want to go back to my tribe." What are you going to do? Are you going to go back to savage life and eat human flesh again and be a cannibal like you used to be?" His face immediately showed seriousness, and he shook his head desperately and said, "No, no, Friday. Tell them to be good people, tell them to pray to God, tell them to eat grains, bread, beef and mutton, drink milk of cows and goats, and stop eating human flesh." I said, "Then they will kill you." He heard He said with a serious look on his face, "No, they won't kill me. They love to learn." What he meant was that they were willing to learn.Then he added that they had learned a great deal from the bearded men who came out of the boat.Then, I asked him again if he wanted to go back.He smiled and said to me that he couldn't swim that far.I told him I could make him a canoe.He said that if I would go with him, he would go. "I'm going?" I said, "I'm going, won't they eat me?" "No, no," he said, "I told them not to eat you. I told them to love you, very much Love you so much!" He meant that he would tell them how I killed his enemy and saved his life.So, he will make them love me.Then he tried to describe how well they had treated the seventeen white men.The whites, who had come ashore to them after shipwrecks, he called them "bearded men."

From this period, I must confess, I was tempted to venture across the sea and see if I could meet the bearded ones.I have no doubt that those people were either Spanish or Portuguese.Nor do I doubt that, once I can join them, I can manage to escape from here.Because, on the one hand, we are on the mainland; on the other hand, we are in groups, and there are many people.It was much easier than escaping from a small island forty miles from the mainland by myself and alone.So, after a few days, I took Friday out again to work, and I told him in conversation that I would give him a boat to go back to his tribe.For this I took him to the place where the boat was kept at the other end of the island.I kept the boat under water, so when we got there, I drained the boat and floated it up to show him, and sat on it with him. I found that he was an excellent sailor, and could row the boat twice as fast as I could. So, on the boat, I said to him, "Okay, Friday, can we go to your tribe?" He froze at my words.It seemed that he thought the boat was too small to go that far.At this time, I told him that I still have a bigger boat.So, the next day, I took him to the place where I kept the first boat I built, which I couldn't get into the water.He said the boat was big enough.However, I have never protected it, and it has been lying there for twenty-two or three years, and it has been dried up and rotted by the sun.Friday told me that such a boat would be fine and could carry "enough food, water and bread," he put it. In short, I was now fully determined to go to the Continent with Friday.I said to him we could build a boat as big as this and let him go home in it.He didn't say a word, and his face was solemn and sad.I asked him what was going on.He asked me back, "Why are you mad at Friday? What did I do wrong?" I asked him what he meant by that and told him I wasn't mad at him at all. "No anger! No anger!" he said over and over again. "No offense why did you send Friday home?" I said, "Friday, didn't you say you wanted to go back?" "Yeah, yeah," he said, "I think both of us, not Friday , the master won't go." All in all, without me, he never wants to go back.I said, "I'll go! Friday, what can I do there?" He replied immediately, "You can do many, many good things. You can teach us savages and make them good people. Mindful people, kind people. You can teach them to know God, to pray to God, and to lead them to a new life." "Oh, Friday," I said, "you don't know what you're talking about? Myself An ignorant man, too!" "You can, you can," said he, "if you can teach me well, you can teach them all." "No, no, Friday," said I, " You go alone, leave me here alone, and go on living as before." He was confused again by my words.He immediately ran to fetch the ax he usually wore and handed it to me. "What did you give me the ax for?" I asked him. "Take it and kill Friday!" he said. "Why should I kill Friday?" I said again.He immediately replied: "Why did you drive Friday away? Kill Friday with an axe, and don't drive him away." He said these words with great sincerity, with tears in his eyes, in short, I could see at a glance that he really loved me, and he didn't change his original intention.Therefore, I said to him at that time, as long as he is willing to be with me, I will never send him away again.I have said this to him many times over and over again. In short, it appears from all his conversations that his attachment to me was unshakable, and that he had absolutely no desire to leave me.His desire to go back to his own country was purely out of love for his tribe, and he hoped it would be good for them if I went with him.However, I am not sure whether my going will be of any use to them, so I don't want to go to the opposite continent for it.However, I have always had a strong desire in my heart, hoping that I can escape from here.The basis of this desire was to learn from his conversation that there were seventeen bearded men over there.So I went at once, with Friday, to find a tree that could be felled, and to build a larger canoe out of it, with which to sail across to the mainland.The island is full of trees enough to build a small fleet, and not just a fleet of canoes, but a fleet of large ships.But my main purpose is to find a tree near the water.This way, it can be put into the water after it is built, avoiding the mistake I made last time. Finally, Friday finally found one.He is much more expert than me in what kind of wood to build a boat with.To this day, I can't say the name of the tree we cut down, only that it looks like a tropical American goldenwood, or something in between a goldenwood and a Central and South American redwood.That kind of redwood is also known as Brazilwood, because the tree resembles both in color and body odor.Friday was going to use fire to hollow out the tree to make a canoe, but I taught him to hollow out with tools.After I told him how to use the tool, he immediately used it cleverly.After a month or so of hard work, we finally got the boat built, and it looks great.After I taught Friday how to use an ax, we two hacked the hull of the canoe with the ax so that it looked exactly like a regular boat.After this we spent almost another fortnight pushing it inch by inch with the big turntable into the water.Once the boat was in the water, we found it more than enough to carry twenty persons. After launching the boat, although it was very big, I was amazed at the dexterity and agility with which it was able to turn freely and move the oars like flying.So I asked him if we could cross the sea in this boat. "Yes," said he, "we can cross the sea in it, if the wind blows." But I have other plans for the boat, and Friday knows nothing about it.I'm going to mast and sail the canoe, and add anchor and hawsers.As for the mast, that was easy.I chose a small, straight cedar, one of those trees that are found all over the island, and I found one nearby.I made Friday cut it down, and taught him to whittle it down like a mast.But the sails are a bit of a headache.I know I have a good stash of old sails, or pieces of old canvas.But these things have been sitting there for twenty-six years, and I haven't kept them well, because it never occurred to me before that they could be of any use.So I have no doubt that those old canvases have long since rotted away.In fact, most of them did rot.However, I found two pieces of sail-cloth among these rotten canvases, which looked pretty good, and I set about making sails for the boat.Because there is no needle, it is very laborious and time-consuming to sew.It took a lot of effort to make it into a triangular shape, which looked ugly.The sail was shaped like our English jib; and when it was in use, there was a crosspiece under the boom, and another crosspiece over the top of the sail, like the sails on our life-boats on our big ships.I am familiar with this kind of sail.For that was the kind of sail I had on the longboat I escaped from Barbary.I have dealt with this matter at length in the first part of this book. This last work took me nearly two months or so, as I wanted to make the work of making and fitting the masts and sails as perfect as possible.Also, I added little shrouds to help support the mast.I also made a fore-sail on the bow, so that the boat could sail against the wind.Not least, I also fitted a rudder at the stern so that I could steer it freely when changing directions.Of course, my skill in shipbuilding is not very good, but knowing that these things are very useful and indispensable, I have to work hard and do my best.I have of course tried and failed a few times during the manufacturing process.If all these are counted, the time and effort spent are almost the same as building the boat itself. When the boat was equipped, I taught Friday how to use the sail and the rudder.He was a good rower, of course, but he knew nothing of sail and rudder.He saw that I was steering the boat with my hands, and I was driving the boat freely on the sea. He also saw that the sails changed with the direction of the boat, filling one side with the wind for a while, and filling the other side with the wind for a while. Surprised a little dazed.Before long, however, I taught him the use of the rudder and sail, and he soon became an excellent sailor.It's just the compass, but I still can't make him understand its function. Fortunately, there are very few clouds and fog in this area, and the coast can always be seen during the day, and the stars can always be seen at night, so the compass is not very useful.Of course, the situation is different in the rainy season, but generally no one goes out during the rainy season, not to mention sailing, even walking around the island is rare. It is now the twenty-seventh year that I have been stranded on this desert island, although the last three years do not seem to count.Because life has never been the same since I had Fridays for company.As in the past, I spent my anniversary on the island with a grateful heart.If I had good reason to thank God in the past, I have even more so now.For now I have more evidence of God's care for me, and great hope has been presented before me, that I may soon be out of trouble, and with great probability of success.I had a distinct feeling in my heart that my deliverance was not far off, and I knew I would not be here another year.Nevertheless, I plowed, dug, planted, and fenced as I had done in the past.The other is the daily work of collecting and drying raisins, and everything is going on as usual. With the monsoon season approaching, when we mostly have to stay at home, I had to get our new boat in place first.I moved the boat into the little stream where the rafts had been unloaded, and hauled her ashore at high tide.I ordered Friday to dig a little dock there, just wide enough to hold the boat, and just deep enough to float the boat after putting in the water.Then, taking advantage of the low tide, we built a strong embankment at the mouth of the dock to keep out the sea water.This way, even if the tide rises, the boat will not be submerged.In order to cover the rain, we put many branches on the boat, and piled up several layers densely, which looked like the roof of a thatched house.And so we waited for November and December: the dates when I was ready for adventure. The dry season is approaching.As the weather improved, I was busy planning the adventurous voyage again.The first thing I did was to store up enough provisions for the voyage, and to dig up the dock and put the boat in the water in a week or two.One morning, when I was busy with such things, I asked Friday to go to the beach and catch a sea turtle.We always catch one or two of them every week and eat their eggs and meat.Not long after Friday left, he came running back like flying, and jumped into the outer wall. He ran so fast that it seemed as if he couldn't touch the ground.Before I could ask him what was the matter, he yelled, "Master, master, no, no!" I said, "What's the matter, Friday?" He said, "There's one over there, two Only, three canoes, one, two, three!" I thought there were six canoes when I heard him say this, but after I asked, I found out that there were only three.I said, "Don't be afraid, Friday." I tried to embolden him.But I was horrified to see the poor fellow, for his first thought was that these people were after him, and were sure to cut him up and eat him in pieces.He was trembling all the time, and there was nothing I could do about him.I tried to reassure him as much as I could, telling him that I was as dangerous as he was and that they would eat me too. "But," I said, "Friday, we've got to make up our minds to fight them. Can you fight, Friday?" He said, "I'll shoot, but they're too crowded." I said, "" It doesn't matter, our guns will scare them away if they don't kill them." So I asked him again, if I was determined to defend him, would he defend me, stand by my side, and do my bidding.He said, "You can call me dead, master." So I took a mug of cachaça and made him drink it.I have always drank rum so sparingly that I still have quite a lot left.When he had finished his drink, I sent him to fetch the two fowling guns we used to carry, and loaded them with large sand-balls; and they were as big as pistol bullets.I then took four short guns myself, and loaded each with two pellets and five small cartridges, and two pistols with a pair of cartridges each.Besides, I gave Friday the axe with the broadsword without scabbard at my side. Ready to fight, I took the binoculars and ran to the hillside to watch the movement.Through the binoculars, I saw at once that a total of twenty or so savages had come, with three captives.They have three canoes in total.Apparently, their purpose in coming here was to hold a victory banquet with these three living people.It was a barbaric banquet indeed.But I also know that, for them, this is the norm. I also noticed that this time they landed not where they had escaped on Friday, but nearer to my creek.The coast in that area is very low, and there is a dense forest extending to the sea.It was heartfelt abhorrent to see them come ashore, and to think of the cruel deeds these brutes were about to commit.Furious, I ran down the hill and told Friday I was determined to kill the beasts, and asked him if he would take my side.By this time Friday had allayed his fears, and his spirits were greatly refreshed by the rum I gave him.After hearing my words, he was very happy, and repeatedly expressed to me that even if I asked him to die, he would be willing. I was really outraged.I first divide the weapons that have already been loaded with ammunition into two parts.Give Friday a pistol to wear in his belt, and three long guns to carry on his shoulders.I myself took a pistol and three long guns. And so we set out fully armed.I took another small bottle of cachaça and put it in my pocket, and gave Friday the large bag of powder and cartridges.I told Friday to follow my command, and ordered him to follow closely behind me. Without my order, he was not allowed to move around, shoot casually, act arbitrarily, and was not allowed to speak.So I made a circle to the right, nearly a mile, in order to cross the creek and get into the woods.I'm going to get in range to shoot them before they spot me, because that's pretty easy to do from what I've seen with the binoculars. On the way forward, some thoughts from my past came back to me and my resolve was shaken.It's not that I'm afraid of their numbers, because they are all naked and unarmed, and I have an absolute advantage over them, there is no doubt about it, even if I am alone.However, what I thought about was, what mission and reason do I have, why do I need to kill and bleed, and attack these people?They had neither hurt me nor intended to hurt me.To me, they are innocent.As for their barbarous customs, it was only their own misfortune, and it only proved that God intended to keep them and their peoples in a state of ignorance and barbarism.God has not called me to judge their actions, much less to enforce God's law.At any time, as God sees fit, he can execute the law himself, and carry out national punishment for crimes committed by their entire nation.Even then, it has nothing to do with me.To Friday, of course, he was justifiably right, since he was an open enemy of the group and was at war with them.It was legal for him to attack them.But for me, it's a different story.I was haunted by these thoughts as I walked forward.In the end, I decided to stand near them, observe their barbaric feasting, and then play it by ear, as God directed.I resolved not to interfere with them unless God inspired me. Having thus decided, I entered the woods.Friday followed me, walking cautiously and silently.We went as far as the edge of the wood, which was nearest to them, with only a few trees in between, a corner of the edge of the wood.When I got there, I greeted Friday quietly, pointing to the outermost big tree in the corner of the forest, and asked him to hide behind that tree to observe, and if he could see their actions clearly, he would come back and tell me.He came back a short time after he had gone, and told me that from there he could clearly see that they were eating the flesh of one captive around the fire, and that another captive was lying on the sand not far from them, hands and feet. All tied up. It seemed to him that they were going to kill him next.After hearing what he said, I couldn't help but get angry.He also told me that the lying prisoner was not a member of their tribe, but a bearded man like he had told me about going to their tribe in a boat. I was surprised to hear it was a white man with a beard.I walked into the back of the big tree and looked through the binoculars, and I saw a white man lying on the beach with his hands and feet bound by things like calamus grass.At the same time, I also saw that he was a European and had clothes on.Then I saw another tree in front of me, and a little bush in front of it, fifty yards closer to them than where I was.I just had to make a small detour and get there without them noticing.Once there, I'm within half the range of them.At this time, I was furious, but I still suppressed the anger in my heart, walked back more than 20 steps, and came to the back of a bush.Relying on the cover of this bush, I went all the way to the back of the big tree.There was a small plateau about eighty yards from the savages.I walked up to the high ground and saw their every move clearly. The matter had come to a very critical moment, for I saw nineteen wild men sitting close together on the ground, and they sent two other wild men to slaughter the poor Christian.It seemed that they were going to dismember him, and take him arm by leg over the fire.I saw the two savages bent down at this moment, and untied the things tied around the white man's feet.I turned to Friday and said, "Follow my orders." Friday said he would obey.So I said, "Well, Friday, do what you want me to do, and don't miss it." So I put a short gun and a black gun in the ground, and Friday followed with his fowling gun and a black gun. A short gun lay in the ground.I took aim at the savages with the short gun I had left, and told Friday to do the same.Then I asked Friday if he was ready, and he said, "Yes." I said, "Fire!" and I fired myself. Friday's marksmanship is much better than mine.As a result of the shooting, he killed two and injured three.I only killed one and wounded two.Needless to say, those savages were scared out of their wits, and those who were not dead or injured all jumped up from the ground, not knowing where to run or where to look, because they didn't know that this disaster was a disaster. Where did it come from.Friday's eyes were fixed on me, because I told him to watch my movements.Immediately after I had fired the first shot, I dropped my musket on the ground, and picked up a fowling-gun; and Friday did likewise.He saw me aim with one eye closed and he aimed likewise.I said, "Friday, are you ready?" He said, "Okay." And I said, "In God's name, fire!" And I fired another shot at the panicked brutes. Shots were fired, too, on Friday.This time, our guns were all loaded with small iron sand or pistol bullets, so only two were knocked down, but many were injured.I saw them running and screaming like madmen, covered in blood, and most of them were badly wounded; before long, three of them also fell down, though not quite dead. I put down the shotgun I had let go, took the loaded butcher in my hand, and said to Friday, "Now, Friday, come with me!" and he did follow me bravely.So I rushed out of the woods, and appeared before the savages.Friday followed me closely, never leaving.When I saw that they could see us, I shouted as hard as I could, and Friday shouted after me.I shouted and ran forward.In fact, I couldn't run fast at all, because the guns on my body were too heavy.I ran all the way to the poor captive.The poor bearded man, as has been said, was lying now on the sand between where the savages sat and the sea.The two butchers who were about to kill him were already scared out of their wits when we fired the first shot.Abandoning their captives, they ran as fast as they could to the sea, and jumped into a canoe.At this time, three of the savages also fled in the same direction.I turned back and told Friday to go after them and shoot them.He understood me immediately.Ran forward about forty yards, got closer to them, and shot at the savages.At first I thought he had beaten them all to death, for I saw them all go down in the boat at once.But soon I saw two of them sitting up again quickly.In spite of this he killed two and wounded one; the wounded fell in the cabin as if dead. When Friday opened fire on the savages who had fled to the canoes, I drew my knife, cut the calamus-weeds that bound the poor fellow, unbound his hands and feet, and raised him from the ground.I asked him in Portuguese who he was. He replied in Latin, "Christian." He was so exhausted that he could barely stand or even speak.I took the bottle of wine out of my pocket and motioned him to have a drink.He took a few sips right away.I gave him another piece of bread, and he ate it too.So I asked him which country he was from, and he said, "Spanish." At this time, his spirit had recovered a little, and he made various gestures to express his gratitude to me for saving his life. "Sir," I said in all the Spanish I could speak, "we'll talk about that later. 现在打仗要紧。要是你还有点力气的话，就拿上这支手枪和这把刀杀过去吧！"他马上把武器接过去，表示十分感激。他手里一拿到武器，就仿佛滋生了新的力量，顿时就向他的仇人们扑过去，一下子就砍倒了两个，并把他们剁成肉泥。因为，事实上，我们所进行的这场攻击实在太出乎他们的意料之外了，这班可怜的家伙给我们的枪声吓得东倒西歪，连怎样逃跑都不知道，就只好拿他们的血肉之躯来抵挡我们的枪弹。星期五在小船上打死打伤的那五个，情形也一样。他们中有三个确实是受了伤倒下的，另外两个却是吓昏了倒下的。 这时候，我手上仍拿着一支枪，但我没有开枪，因为我已把手枪和腰刀给了那西班牙人，手里得留一支装好弹药的枪，以防万一。我把星期五叫过来，吩咐他赶快跑到我们第一次放枪的那棵大树边，把那几支枪拿过来。他一下子就取回来了。于是我把自己的短枪交给他，自己坐下来给所有的枪再次装上弹药，并告诉他需要用枪时随时可来龋正当我在装弹药时，忽然发现那个西班牙人正和一个野人扭作一团，打得不可开交。那个野人手里拿着一把木头刀跟西班牙人拼杀。这种木头刀，正是他们刚才准备用来杀他的那种武器，要不是我及时出来阻止，早就把他杀死了。那西班牙人虽然身体虚弱，却异常勇猛。我看到他时，已和那野人恶战了好一会了，并且在那野人头上砍了两个大口子。可是，那野人强壮无比，威武有力，只见他向前猛地一扑，就把西班牙人撂倒在地上，并伸手去夺西班牙人手中的刀。那西班牙人被他压在底下，急中生智，连忙松开手中的刀，从腰间拔出手枪，没等我来得及跑过去帮忙，他早已对准那野人，一枪结果了敌人的性命。 星期五趁这时没人管他，就手里只拿了一把斧头，向那些望风而逃的野人追去。他先用斧头把刚才受伤倒下的三个野人结果了性命，然后把他能追赶得上的野人杀个精光，一个不留。这时候，那西班牙人跑过来向我要枪，我就给了他一支鸟枪。他拿着鸟枪，追上了两个野人，把他们都打伤了，但因为他已没有力气再跑了，那两个受伤的野人就逃到树林里去了。这时星期五又追到树林里，砍死了一个；另一个却异常敏捷，虽然受了伤，还是跳到海里，拼力向留在独木舟上的那两个野人游去。这三个人，连同一个受了伤而生死不明的野人，从我们手中逃出去了，二十一名中其余的十七人，都被我们打死了。全部战果统计如下：被我们从树后第一枪打死的，三名；第二枪打死的，二名；被星期五打死在船上的，二名；受伤后被星期五砍死的，二名；在树林中被星期五砍死的，一名；被西班牙人杀死的，三名；在各处因伤毙命或被星期五追杀而死的，四名；在小船里逃生的，共四名；其中一名虽没有死，也受了伤。 以上共计二十一名。 那几个逃上独木舟的野人，拼力划着船，想逃出我们的射程。虽然星期五向他们开了两三枪，可我没看到他打中任何人。星期五希望用他们的独木船去追杀他们。说实在的，放这几个野人逃走，我心里也很有顾虑。因为若把消息带回本部落，说不定他们会坐上两三百只独木船卷土重来，那时，他们将以多胜少，把我们通通杀光吃掉。所以我也同意星期五到海上去追他们。我立刻跑向一只独木船跳了上去，并叫星期五也一起上来。可是，我一跳上独木舟，就发现船上还躺着一个俘虏，真是大大出乎我的意外，那俘虏也像那西班牙人一样，手脚都被捆绑着，等着被杀了吃掉。因为他无法抬头看看船外边的情况，所以不知道究竟发生了什么事，人已吓得半死；再加上脖子和脚给绑得太紧，而且也绑得太久，所以只剩一口气了。 我立刻把捆在他身上的菖浦之类的东西割断，想把他扶起来，但是他连说话的力气都没有了，更不要说站起来了。他只是一个劲儿地哼哼着，样子可怜极了，因为他还以为给他松绑是准备拿他开刀呢。 星期五一上船，我就叫星期五跟他讲话，告诉他已经遇救了。同时，我又把酒瓶掏出来，叫星期五给这可怜的野人喝两口。那野人喝了酒，又听见自己已经获救，不觉精神为之一振，居然马上坐了起来。不料，星期五一听见他说话，把他的脸一看，立刻又是吻他，又是拥抱他，又是大哭大笑，又是大喊大叫；接着又是一个劲儿地乱跳狂舞，大声唱歌；然后又是大哭大嚎，又是扭自己的两手，打自己的脸和头，继而又是高声大唱，又是乱跳狂舞，活像个疯子。他那样子，任何人看了都要感动得流泪。他这样发疯似地闹了好半天，我才使得他开口，让他告诉我究竟是怎么回事。他稍稍镇静了一会，才告诉我，这是他父亲。 我看见这可怜的野人见到他父亲，见到他父亲已绝处逢生，竟流露出如此无限的孝心，简直欣喜若狂，我内心所受感动实难言表。不仅如此，在他们父子相逢之后，他那种一往情深，不能自禁的样子，我更是无法形容。只见他一会儿跳上小船，一会儿又跳下来，这样上上下下，不知折腾了多少趟。每次一上船，他总要坐到他父亲身边，袒开胸膛，把父亲的头紧紧抱在胸口，一抱就是半个钟头。他这样做是为了使父亲感到舒服些。然后，他又捧住他父亲被绑得麻木和僵硬的手或脚，不停地搓擦。我见他这样做，就把酒瓶里的甘蔗酒倒了一些出来给他，叫他用酒来按摩，这样效果果然好多了。 发生了这件事，我们就没能再去追那条独木舟上的野人了。他们这时也已划得很远很远，差不多连影子都看不见了。 事实上，我们没有去追击，倒是我们的运气。因为不到两小时，海上就刮起了大风，我们估计那些逃跑的野人还没有走完四分之一的路程。大风刮了整整一夜，还是西北风，对他们来说正是逆风，所以我估计，他们的船就是不翻也到不了自己的海岸。 现在再回过头来谈谈星期五吧。他这时正围着他父亲忙得不可开交，使我不忍心差他去做什么事。等我觉得他可以稍稍离开一会时才把他叫过来。他过来了，又是跳，又是笑，一副兴高采烈的样子。我问他有没有给他父亲吃面包。他摇头说，"没有，我这丑狗头把面包吃光了。"于是我从自己特意带出来的一只小袋袋里掏出一块面包给他，又给了他一点酒，叫他自己喝。可是，他连尝都不肯尝一下，一古脑儿拿到他父亲那里去了。我衣袋里还有两三串葡萄干，我给了他一把，叫他也拿给他父亲吃。他把这把葡萄干送给他父亲之后，马上又跳出小船，像着了魔似地向远处跑去，而且跑得飞快。他真是我生气见到过的唯一的飞毛腿，一下子就跑得无影无踪了。尽管我对着他大声叫喊，他还是头也不回地一个劲往前跑。不到一刻钟工夫，他跑回来了，不过速度已经没有去的时候那么快了。当他走近时，我才发现原来他手里还拿着东西，所以跑得不那么快了。 他走到我面前我才知道，原来他是跑回家去取一只泥罐子，替他父亲弄了些淡水来，并且又带来了两块面包。他把面包交给我，把水送给他父亲。我这时也感到很渴了，就顺便喝了一口。他父亲喝了点水后，精神好多了，比我给他喝酒还有效，因为他确实渴得快要昏过去了。 他父亲喝完水，我便把星期五叫过来，问他罐子里还有没有水。他说："有。"我就叫他把水给那西班牙人去喝，因为他也和星期五的父亲一样快渴死了。我又叫他把他带来的面包也送一块给那西班牙人吃。这时，那西班牙人已一点也没有力气了，正躺在一棵树底下的绿草地上休息。他的手脚因刚刚被绑得太紧，现在又肿又硬。我看到星期五把水给他送过去，他就坐起来喝水，并把面包接了过去，开始吃起面包来了。我走到他面前，又给了他一把葡萄干。他抬起头来望着我，脸上露出无限感激的样子。可是他身子实在太虚弱了，尽管他在与野人战斗时奋力气搏，但现在却连站都站不起来。他试了两三回，可是脚踝肿胀得厉害，痛得根本站不祝我叫他坐下别动，要星期五替他搓脚踝，就像他替父亲搓擦手脚那样。我还让他用甘蔗酒擦洗擦洗。 我发现，星期五真是个心地诚挚的孝子。他一边为西班牙人搓擦，一边频频回头看他的父亲是否还坐在原来的地方。 有一次，他忽然发觉他父亲不见了，就立即跳起来，一句话也不说，飞跑到他父亲那边，他跑得飞快，简直脚不点地。他过去一看，原来他父亲为了舒舒手脚的筋骨，躺了下去。他这才放心，又赶紧回来。这时我对西班牙人说，让星期五扶他走到小船上去，然后坐船到我们的住所，这样我可照顾他。 不料星期五力大无比，一下子把那西班牙人背在身上，向小船那边走去。到了船边，星期五把西班牙人朝里轻轻放到船沿上，又把他拖起来往里一挪，安置在他父亲身旁。然后，星期五立即跳出小船，把船推到水里，划着它沿岸驶去。尽管这时风已刮得很大了，可他划得比我走还快。他把他俩安全地载到那条小河里，让他们在船里等着，他自己又马上翻身回来，去取海边的另一只独木舟。我在半路遇上他，问他上哪儿去。他说："去取那只小船。"说完又一阵风似地跑了，比谁都跑得快，甚至可以说比马都跑得快。我从陆路刚走到小河边，他就已经把另一只独木船划进河里了。他先把我渡过小河，又去帮助我们两位新来的客人下了船。可是他俩都已无法走动，把可怜的星期五弄得一筹莫展。 为了解决这一问题，我便开动脑筋。我让星期五叫他俩坐在河边，让他自己到我身边来。不久，我们便做了一副类似担架的东西。我们把他俩放上去，我和星期五一前一后抬着他俩往前走。可是，抬到住所围墙外面时，我们却又不知怎么办才好了。因为要把他们两人背过墙去是绝对不可能的，但我又不愿拆坏围墙。于是，我和星期五只好动手搭个临时帐篷。不到两小时帐篷就搭成了，而且样子也挺不错。帐篷顶上盖的是旧帆布，帆布上又铺上树枝。帐篷就搭在我们外墙外面的那块空地上；也就是说，在外墙和我新近种植起来的那片幼林之间。在帐篷里，我们用一些现在的稻草搭了两张地铺，上面各铺了一条毯子，再加上一条毯子作盖被。 现在，我这小岛上已经有了居民了；我觉得自己已有了不少百姓。我不禁觉得自己犹如一个国王。每想到这里，心里有一种说不出的喜悦。首先，整个小岛都是我个人的财产，因此，我对所属的领土拥有一种毫无异义的主权；其次，我的百姓对我都绝对臣服，我是他们的全权统治者和立法者。他们对我都感恩戴德，因为他们的性命都是我救下来的。假如有必要，他们个个都甘心情愿为我献出他们自己的生命。还有一点值得一提的是，我虽然只有三个臣民，但他们却分属三个不同的宗教：星期五是新教徒；他的父亲是异教徒，而且还是个吃人的生番；而那个西班牙人却又是个天主教徒。可是，在我的领土上，我允许宗教信仰自由。当然，这些只是在这儿顺便提提罢了。 我解救出来的两个俘虏身体已十分虚弱。我首先把他们安顿好，使他们有遮风避雨和休息的地方，然后，就想到给他们弄点吃的东西。我先叫星期五从羊圈里挑了一只不大不小的山羊把它宰了。我把山羊的后半截剁下来，切成小块，叫星期五加上清水煮，又在汤里加了点小麦和大米，制成味道鲜美的羊肉糊汤。这顿饭是在露天做的，因为我从不在内墙里面生火做饭。羊肉糊汤烧好后，我就端到新帐篷里去，又在那里替他们摆上一张桌子，坐下来和他们一块吃起来，同时和他们又说又笑，尽可能鼓其他们的精神。谈话时，星期五就充当我的翻译，除了把我的话翻给他父亲听以外，有时也翻给那西班牙人听，因为那西班牙人说他们部落的话已相当不错了。 吃完了中饭，或者不如说吃完了晚饭，我就命令星期五驾一只独木船，把我们的短枪和其他枪枝搬回来，因为当时时间仓促，这些武器仍留在战场上。第二天，我又命令他把那几个野人的尸体埋掉，因为尸体在太阳下暴晒，不久就会发臭。我也叫他把他们那场野蛮的人肉宴所剩下来的残骨剩肉也一齐顺便埋掉。我知道那些残骸还剩有不少，可我实在不想自己亲自动手去埋掉——不要说埋，就是路过都不忍看一眼。所有这些工作，星期五都很快就完成了，而且，他把那群野人留在那一带的痕迹都消灭得干干净净。后来我再到那边去时，要不是靠了那片树林的一角辩别方向，简直认不出那个地方了。