In the meantime, Friday and the captain’s mate so well managed their business with the rest, that they drew them, by hallooing and answering, from one hill to another, and from one wood to another, till they not only heartily tired them, but left them where they were, very sure they could not reach back to the boat before it was dark; and, indeed, they were heartily tired themselves also by the time they came back to us.
We had nothing now to do but to watch for them in the dark, and to fall upon them, so as to make sure work with them.
It was several hours after Friday came back to me before they came back to their boat—and we could hear the foremost of them, long before they came quite up, calling to those behind to come along-and could also hear them answer, and complain how lame and tired they were, and not being able to come any faster, which was very welcome news to us.
At length they came up to the boat; but it is impossible to express their confusion, when they found the boat fast aground in the creek, the tide ebbed out, and their two men gone: we could hear them call to one another in a most lamentable manner, telling one another they were gotten into an enchanted island; that either there were inhabitants in it, and they should all be murdered; or else there were devils or spirits in it, and they should be all carried away and devoured.
They hallooed again, and called their two comrades by their names a great many times, but no answer; after some time, we could see them, by the little light there was, run about wringing their hands, like men in despair; and that sometimes they would go and sit down in the boat to rest themselves, then come ashore, and walk about again, and so the same thing over again.
My men would fain have had me give them leave to fall upon them at once in the dark; but I was willing to take them at some advantage, so to spare them, and kill as few of them as I could; and especially I was unwilling to hazard the killing any of our men, knowing the other men were very well armed: I resolved to wait to see if they did not separate; and therefore, to make sure of them, I drew my ambuscade nearer, and ordered Friday and the captain to creep upon their hands and feet as close to the ground as they could, that they might not be discovered, and get as near them as they could possibly, before they offered to fire.
They had not been long in that posture till the boatswain, who was the principal ringleader of the mutiny, and had now shown himself the most dejected and dispirited of all the rest, came walking towards them with two more of the crew; the captain was so eager, at having the principal rogue so much in his power, that he could hardly have patience to let him come so near as to be sure of him: for they only heard his tongue before; but when they came nearer, the captain and Friday, starting up on their feet, let fly at them.
The boatswain was killed upon the spot; the next man was shot in the body, and fell just by him, though he did not die till an hour or two after; and the third ran for it.
At the noise of the fire, I immediately advanced with my whole army, which was now eight men; namely, myself generalissimo; Friday, my lieutenant-general, the captain and his two men, and the three prisoners of war, whom we had trusted with arms.
We came upon them indeed in the dark, so that they could not see our number; and I made the man they had left in the boat, who was now one of us, to call them by name, to try if I could bring them to a parley, and so might perhaps reduce them to terms, which fell out just as we desired; for indeed it was easy to think, as their condition then was, they would be very willing to capitulate; so he calls out as loud as he could to one of them, “Tom Smith! Tom Smith!” Tom Smith answered immediately, “Who’s that? Robinson?” For it seems he knew his voice. The other answered, “Ay, ay; for God’s sake, Tom Smith, throw down your arms, and yield, or you are all dead men this moment.”