Robinson Crusoe | Page 4

not less than 150 miles out of the reach of the Turk.
I had still some fear lest I should be caught by the Moors, so I would
not go on shore in the day time. But when it grew dark we made our
way to the coast, and came to the mouth of a stream, from which we
thought we could swim to land, and then look round us. But as soon as
it was quite dark we heard strange sounds-- barks, roars, grunts, and
howls. The poor lad said he could not go on shore till dawn. "Well,"
said I, "then we must give it up, but it may be that in the day time we
shall be seen by men, who for all we know would do us more harm
than wild beasts." "Then we give them the shoot gun," said Xury with a
laugh, "and make them run away." I was glad to see so much mirth in
the boy, and gave him some bread and rice.
We lay still at night, but did not sleep long, for in a few hours' time
some huge beasts came down to the sea to bathe. The poor boy shook
from head to foot at the sight. One of these beasts came near our boat,
and though it was too dark to see him well, we heard him puff and blow,
and knew that he must be a large one by the noise he made. At last the

brute came as near to the boat as two oars' length, so I shot at him, and
he swam to the shore.
The roar and cries set up by beasts and birds at the noise of my gun
would seem to show that we had made a bad choice of a place to land
on; but be that as it would, to shore we bad to go to find some fresh
spring, so that we might fill our casks. Xury said if I would let him go
with one of the jars, he would find out if the springs were fit to drink;
and, if they were sweet, he would bring the jar back full. "Why should
you go?" said I; "Why should not I go, and you stay in the boat?" At
this Xury said, "if wild mans come they eat me, you go way." I could
not but love the lad for this kind speech. "Well," said I, "we will both
go, and if the wild men come we must kill them, they shall not eat you
or me."
I gave Xury some rum from the Turk's case to cheer him up, and we
went on shore. The boy went off with his gun, full a mile from the spot
where we stood, and came back with a hare that he had shot, which we
were glad to cook and eat; but the good news which he brought was
that he had found a spring, and had seen no wild men.
I made a guess that the Cape de Verd Isles were not far off, for I saw
the top of the Great Peak, which I knew was near them. My one hope
was that if I kept near the coast, I should find some ship that would take
us on board; and then, and not till then, should I feel a free man. In a
word, I put the whole of my fate on this chance, that I must meet with
some ship, or die.
On the coast we saw some men who stood to look at us. They were
black, and wore no clothes. I would have gone on shore to them, but
Xury--who knew best--said, "Not you go! Not you go!" So I brought
the boat as near the land as I could, that I might talk to them, and they
kept up with me a long way. I saw that one of them had a lance in his
hand.
I made signs that they should bring me some food, and they on their
part made signs for me to stop my boat. So I let down the top of my sail,
and lay by, while two of them ran off; and in less than half an hour they
came back with some dry meat and a sort of corn which is grown in
this part of the world. This we should have been glad to get, but knew
not how to do so; for we durst not go on shore to them, nor did they
dare to come to us. last they took a safe way for us all, for they brought

the food to the shore, where they set it, down, and then went a long way
off while we took it in. We made signs