said I, to cheer him. The poor man shook with fear; for he
thought that the men who brought him here, had now come back to
kill him.

"Can you fight?" said I.

"Me shoot; but me saw three boats; one, two, three!"

"Have no fear; those that we do not kill, will be sure to take
fright at the sound of our guns. Now will you stand by me, and do
just as you are bid?"

"Me die when you bid die."

I gave him a good draught of rum; and when he had drunk this, he
took up an axe and two guns, each of which had a charge of swan
shot. I took two guns as well, and put large shot in them, and
then hung my great sword by my side. From the top of the bill, I
saw with the help of my glass, that the boats had each brought
eight men, and one slave. They had come on shore near the creek,
where a grove of young trees grew close down to the sea.

They had with them three slaves, bound hand and foot, and you who
read this, may guess what they were brought here for. I felt that
I must try and save them from so hard a fate, and that to do
this, I should have to put some of their foes to death. So we set
forth on our way. I gave Friday strict charge to keep close to
me, and not to fire till I told him to do so.

We went full a mile out of our way, that we might get round to