There was another tree, and a little thicket beyond it, about fifty yards nearer to them than the place where I was, which, by going a little way about, I saw I might come at undiscovered, and that then I should be within half shot of them; so I withheld my passion, though I was indeed enraged to the highest degree, and going back about twenty paces, I got behind some bushes, which held all the way till I came to the other tree, and then I came to a little rising ground, which gave me a full view of them, at the distance of about eighty yards.
I had now not a moment to lose; for nineteen of the dreadful wretches sat upon the ground all close huddled together, and had just sent the other two to butcher the poor Christian, and bring him, perhaps limb by limb, to their fire; and they were stooped down to untie the bands at his feet. I turned to Friday: “Now, Friday,” said I, “do as I bid thee.” Friday said he would. “Then, Friday,” said I, “do exactly as you see me do; fail in nothing.” So I set down one of the muskets and the fowling-pieces upon the ground, and Friday did the like by his; and with the other musket I took my aim at the savages, bidding him do the like. Then, asking him if he was ready, he said, “Yes.” “Then fire at them,” said I; and the same moment I fired also.
Friday took his aim so much better than I, that on the side that he shot he killed two of them, and wounded three more; and on my side, I killed one and wounded two. They were, you may be sure, in a dreadful consternation; and all of them who were not hurt, jumped up on their feet immediately, but did not know which way to run, or which way to look; for they knew not from whence their destruction came. Friday kept his eyes close upon me, that, as I had bid him, he might observe what I did; so as soon as the first shot was made, I threw down the piece, and took up the fowling-piece, and Friday did the like; he sees me cock and present—he did the same again. “Are you ready, Friday?” said I. “Yes,” says he. “Let fly, then,” said I, “in the name of God;” and with that I fired again among the amazed wretches, and so did Friday; and as our pieces were now loaded with what I called swan shot, or small pistol bullets, we found only two drop; but so many were wounded, that they ran about yelling and screaming like mad creatures, all bloody, and miserably wounded most of them; whereof three more fell quickly after, though not quite dead.
“Now, Friday,” said I, laying down the discharged pieces, and taking up the musket, which was yet loaded, “follow me,” said I—which he did with a deal of courage; upon which I rushed out of the wood, and showed myself, and Friday close at my foot: as soon as I perceived they saw me, I shouted as loud as I could, and bade Friday do so, too; and running as fast as I could, which by the way was not very fast, being loaded with arms as I was, I made directly towards the poor victim, who was, as I said, lying upon the beach or shore, between the place where they sat and the sea; the two butchers who were just going to work with him, had left him at the surprise of our first fire, and fled in a terrible fright to the sea-side, and had jumped into a canoe, and three more of the rest made the same way. I turned to Friday, and bade him step forwards, and fire at them; he understood me immediately, and running about forty yards to be near them, he shot at them, and I thought he had killed them all; for I saw them all fall on a heap into the boat—though I saw two of them up again quickly—however, he killed two of them, and wounded the third, so that he lay down in the bottom of the boat, as if he had been dead.