Robinson Crusoe | Page 3

in
the long boat of his ship, as well as a room for us slaves. One day he
sent me to trim the boat, as he had two friends who would go in it to
fish with him. But when the time came they did not go, so he sent me
with the man and the boy--whose name was Xury--to catch some fish
for the guests that were to sup with him.
Now the thought struck me all at once that this would be a good chance
to set off with the boat, and get free. So in the first place, I took all the
food that I could lay my hands on, and I told the man that it would be
too bold of us to eat of the bread that had been put in the boat for the
Turk. He said he thought so too, and he brought down a small sack of
rice and some rusks.
While the man was on shore I put up some wine, a large lump of wax, a
saw, an axe, a spade, some rope, and all sorts of things that might be of
use to us. I knew where the Turk's case of wine was, and I put that in
the boat while the man was on shore. By one more trick I got all that I
had need of. I said to the boy, "the Turk's guns are in the boat, but there
is no shot. Do you think you could get some? You know where it is
kept, and we may want to shoot a fowl or two." So he brought a case
and a pouch which held all that we could want for the guns. These I put
in the boat, and then set sail out of the port to fish.
The wind blew, from the North, or North West, which was a bad wind
for me; for had it been South I could have made for the coast of Spain.
But, blow which way it might, my mind was made up to get off, and to
leave the rest to fate. I then let down my lines to fish, but I took care to
have bad sport; and when the fish bit, I would not pull them up, for the
Moor was not to see them. I said to him, "This will not do, we shall
catch no fish here, we ought to sail on a bit." Well, the Moor thought
there was no harm in this. He set the sails, and, as the helm was in my
hands, I ran the boat out a mile or more, and then brought her to, as if I
meant to fish.
Now, thought I, the time has come for me to get free! I gave the helm
to the boy, and then took the Moor round the waist, and threw him out
of the boat.
Down he went! but soon rose up, for he swam like a duck. He said he
would go all round the world with me, if I would but take him in.

I had some fear lest he should climb up the boat's side, and force his
way back; so I brought my gun to point at him, and said, "You can
swim to land with ease if you choose, make haste then to get there; but
if you come near the boat you shall have a shot through the head, for I
mean to be a free man from this hour."
He then swam for the shore, and no doubt got safe there, as the sea was
so calm.
At first I thought I would take the Moor with me, and let Xury swim to
land; but the Moor was not a man that I could trust. When he was gone
I said to Xury, "If you will swear to be true to me, you shall be a great
man in time; if not, I must throw you out of the boat too."
The poor boy gave me such a sweet smile as he swore to be true to me,
that I could not find it in my heart to doubt him.
While the man was still in view (for he was on his way to the land), we
stood out to sea with the boat, so that he and those that saw us from the
shore might think we had gone to the straits' mouth, for no one went to
the South coast, as a tribe of men dwelt there who were known to kill
and eat their foes.
We then bent our course to the East, so as to keep in with the shore;
and as we had a fair wind and a smooth sea, by the next day at noon,
we were