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The Life, Adventures & Piracies of the Famous Captain Singleton by Daniel Defoe
page 93 of 322 (28%)
that they would bring some provisions to them before the sun set; and so
our men came back again very well satisfied for that time.

But an hour before sunset our men went to them again, just in the same
posture as before, and they came according to their appointment, and
brought deer's flesh, roots, and the same kind of corn, like rice, which I
mentioned above; and our negroes, being furnished with such toys as our
cutler had contrived, gave them some of them, which they seemed infinitely
pleased with, and promised to bring more provisions the next day.

Accordingly the next day they came again, but our men perceived they were
more in number by a great many than before. However, having sent out ten
men with firearms to stand ready, and our whole army being in view also, we
were not much surprised; nor was the treachery of the enemy so cunningly
ordered as in other cases, for they might have surrounded our negroes,
which were but nine, under a show of peace; but when they saw our men
advance almost as far as the place where they were the day before, the
rogues snatched up their bows and arrows and came running upon our men like
so many furies, at which our ten men called to the negroes to come back to
them, which they did with speed enough at the first word, and stood all
behind our men. As they fled, the other advanced, and let fly near a
hundred of their arrows at them, by which two of our negroes were wounded,
and one we thought had been killed. When they came to the five poles that
our men had stuck in the ground, they stood still awhile, and gathering
about the poles, looked at them, and handled them, as wondering what they
meant. We then, who were drawn up behind all, sent one of our number to our
ten men to bid them fire among them while they stood so thick, and to put
some small shot into their guns besides the ordinary charge, and to tell
them that we would be up with them immediately.

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