had saved, who was now the governor of the rest, found himself very
uneasy in the night, and could by no means get any sleep: he was
perfectly well in body, only found his thoughts tumultuous; his
mind ran upon men fighting and killing one another; but he was
broad awake, and could not by any means get any sleep; in short, he
lay a great while, but growing more and more uneasy, he resolved to
rise. As they lay, being so many of them, on goat-skins laid thick
upon such couches and pads as they made for themselves, so they had
little to do, when they were willing to rise, but to get upon their
feet, and perhaps put on a coat, such as it was, and their pumps,
and they were ready for going any way that their thoughts guided
them. Being thus got up, he looked out; but being dark, he could
see little or nothing, and besides, the trees which I had planted,
and which were now grown tall, intercepted his sight, so that he
could only look up, and see that it was a starlight night, and
hearing no noise, he returned and lay down again; but to no
purpose; he could not compose himself to anything like rest; but
his thoughts were to the last degree uneasy, and he knew not for
what. Having made some noise with rising and walking about, going
out and coming in, another of them waked, and asked who it was that
was up. The governor told him how it had been with him. “Say you
so?” says the other Spaniard; “such things are not to be slighted,
I assure you; there is certainly some mischief working near us;”
and presently he asked him, “Where are the Englishmen?” “They are
all in their huts,” says he, “safe enough.” It seems the Spaniards
had kept possession of the main apartment, and had made a place for
the three Englishmen, who, since their last mutiny, were always
quartered by themselves, and could not come at the rest. “Well,”
says the Spaniard, “there is something in it, I am persuaded, from
my own experience. I am satisfied that our spirits embodied have a
converse with and receive intelligence from the spirits unembodied,
and inhabiting the invisible world; and this friendly notice is
given for our advantage, if we knew how to make use of it. Come,
let us go and look abroad; and if we find nothing at all in it to
justify the trouble, I’ll tell you a story to the purpose, that
shall convince you of the justice of my proposing it.”
They went out presently to go up to the top of the hill, where I
used to go; but they being strong, and a good company, nor alone,
as I was, used none of my cautions to go up by the ladder, and
pulling it up after them, to go up a second stage to the top, but
were going round through the grove unwarily, when they were
surprised with seeing a light as of fire, a very little way from
them, and hearing the voices of men, not of one or two, but of a
great number.
Among the precautions I used to take on the savages landing on the
island, it was my constant care to prevent them making the least
discovery of there being any inhabitant upon the place: and when
by any occasion they came to know it, they felt it so effectually
that they that got away were scarce able to give any account of it;
for we disappeared as soon as possible, nor did ever any that had
seen me escape to tell any one else, except it was the three
savages in our last encounter who jumped into the boat; of whom, I
mentioned, I was afraid they should go home and bring more help.
Whether it was the consequence of the escape of those men that so
great a number came now together, or whether they came ignorantly,
and by accident, on their usual bloody errand, the Spaniards could
not understand; but whatever it was, it was their business either
to have concealed themselves or not to have seen them at all, much