Accidents > Life and most surprising adventures of Robinson Crusoe, of York, mariner, who lived eight and twenty years in an uninhabited island on the coast of America, near the mouth of the great river Oroonoque

ROBINSON CRUSOE.
when, as we went, our ears were faluted with their
moft unwelcome bowlings, expecting every moment
another attack. But, in an hour’s time, we arrived
fafe at the town where we were to lodge ; and here
we found the place flrictly guarded, and all in terrible
confufion, as well they might, for fear of the bears
and wolves breaking into the village, in order to prey
upon their cattle and people. The next morning
we were obliged'to take a new guide, by reafon the
other fell very bad of his wounds which he had re¬
ceived, as before mentioned. After we had reached
Thouh/ufe, we came into a warm, pleafant, and fruit¬
ful country, not infefted with wolves, nor any fort
of ravenous creatures : And when we told our ftory
there, ti.ey much blamed our guide, for conduiting
us through the foreft at the foot of the mountains,
and in fuch a fevere feafon, when the fnow obliged
them to feek for fhelter in the woods. When we
informed them in what manner we placed ourfelves,
and the horfes in the centre, then they exceedingly
reprehended us, and told us, it was an hundred to
one but we had all been dedroyed ; for that it was
the fight of the horfes, their fo much defired prey,
made the wolves more ragingly furious than they
would have been ; which was evident, by their being
at other times really afraid of a gun but then, being
exceedingly hungry -and furious upon that account,
their eagernels to come at the hcrles made them in-
fenfible of their danger; and that if we had not by
a continual fire, and at lad by the cunning ft rat a-
gem of the train of powder, got the power over them,
it had been great odds if their number had not over¬
powered us : Befides, it was a great mercy we alight-
. ed from our horfes, and fought them with that cou¬
rage and conduft, which, had we failed to do, every
man of us, with our beads, had been devoured. And
indeed this was nothing but the truth ; for never in
my life was I fo fenfxble of danger, as when 300 devils
came roaring upon us; to fhun whofe unwelcome
company,