heard, for all the years I had been on the isle.

The man whom I had struck with the stock of my gun, sat up; and
my slave, who was in great fear of him, made signs for me to lend
him my sword, which hung in a belt at my side. With this he ran
up to the man, and with one stroke cut off his head. When he had
done this, he brought me back my sword with a laugh, and put it
down in front of me. I did not like to see the glee with which he
did it, and I did not feel that my own life was quite safe with
such a man.

He, in his turn, could but lift up his large brown hands with
awe, to think that I had put his foe to death, while I stood so
far from him. But as to the sword, he and the rest of his tribe
made use of swords of wood, and this was why he knew so well how
to wield mine. He made signs to me to let him go and see the man
who had been shot; and he gave him a turn round, first on this
side, then on that; and when he saw the wound made in his breast
by the shot, he stood quite, still once more, as if he had lost
his wits. I made signs for him to come back, for my fears told me
that the rest of the men might come in search of their friends.

I did not like to take my slave to my house, nor to my cave; so I
threw down some straw from the rice plant for him to sleep on,
and gave him some bread and a bunch of dry grapes to eat. He was
a fine man, with straight strong limbs, tall, and young. His hair
was thick, like wool, and black. His head was large and high; and
he had bright black eyes. He was of a dark brown hue; his face
was round, and his nose small, but not flat; he had a good mouth
with thin lips, with which he could give a soft smile; and his