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ROBINSON CRUSOE |
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him all over the world; that they would own him for a father to them as long as they lived.
"Well," says the captain, "I must go and tell the governor what you say, and see what I can do to bring him to consent to it." So he brought me an account of the temper he found them in, and that he verily believed they would be faithful.
However, that we might be very secure, I told him he should go back again and choose out five of them, and tell them they might see that he did not want men, that he would take out those five to be his assistants, and that the governor would keep the other two and the three that were sent prisoners to the castle, my cave, as hostages for the fidelity of those five; and that if they proved unfaithful in the execution, the five hostages should be hanged in chains alive upon the shore.
This looked severe, and convinced them that the governor was in earnest. However, they had no way left then but to accept it; and it was now the business of the prisoners as much as of the captain, to persuade the other five to do their duty.
Our strength was now thus ordered for the expedition. 1. The captain, his mate, and passenger. 2. Then the two prisoners of the first gang, to whom, having their characters from the captain, I had given their liberty, and trusted them with arms. 3. The other two whom I had kept till now in my bower, pinioned, but upon the captain's motion had now released. 4. These five released at last; so that they were twelve in all, besides five we kept prisoners in the cave for hostages.
I asked the captain if he was willing to venture with these
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