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

278 ROBINSON CRUSOE.
laid the man, if you do think yourfelf fecure, all as I
ca?i fay, you tnujl take your chance ; however, lam very
forry you are fo deaf to good advice, but I affure you, if
you do not put to fea immediately, you will be attacked
by five long boats full of men, hanged yourfelffor a pi¬
rate, if you are taken, and the particulars examined af¬
terwards. I thought. Sir, added he, I might have
met with better reception for fuch a fingular piece offer-
vice. Sir, faid I, I never was ungrateful to any man :
But pray explain yourfelf, and I’ll go on board this
minute, whether the leak be flopped or no. Why,
Sir, faid he, to be fhort, becauf'e time is precious,
the matter is this : You know well enough that you was
with the fijtp at Sumatra, where your captain was mur¬
dered by the Malayans, with three of his failors, and
that either you, or fame who were on board you, ran a-
way with the /hip, and are ft nee turned pirates at fea.
Now, Sir, this is the fum of what I had to fay ; and
I can pofitively affure you, that if you be taken, you will
be executed without much ceremony ; for undoubtedly you
cannot but be fenfible what little law merchantfhips
Jhew to pirates, whenever they fall into their unmerci¬
ful hands.
Sir, faid I, I thank you for your kind informa¬
tion : And though I am fure no man could come
more honeftly by the fhip than I have done; yet
knowing their enterprife, and being fatisfied of your
honeft intention, I’ll be upon my defence. Prithee,
Sir, faid the man," don't talk of being upon your de¬
fence, the btfi you can make is to be out of danger ; and
therefore, if you have any regard to your life, and the
lives of your men, take the advantage, without fail, of
putting out to fea at high water; by which means, as
you have a whole tide before you, you will be too far out
of their reach before they can come down.
I am mighty well fatisfied, faid I, in this particu¬
lar, and of your kindnefs, which merits my greateft
efteem ? pray Sir, what amends fliall I make you ?
He