Робинзон Крузо
Slavery and escape
butmyresolutionswere,blowwhichwayitwould,IwouldbegonefromthathorridplacewhereIwas,andleavetheresttofate.
Afterwehadfishedsometimeandcaughtnothing-forwhenIhadfishonmyhookIwouldnotpullthemup,thathemightnotseethem-IsaidtotheMoor, ‘Thiswillnotdo;ourmasterwillnotbethusserved;wemuststandfartheroff.’ He,thinkingnoharm,agreed,andbeingintheheadoftheboat,setthesails; and,asIhadthehelm,Irantheboatoutnearaleaguefarther,andthenbroughtherto,asifIwouldfish; when,givingtheboythehelm,IsteppedforwardtowheretheMoorwas,andmakingasifIstoopedforsomethingbehindhim,Itookhimbysurprisewithmyarmunderhiswaist,andtossedhimclearoverboardintothesea. Heroseimmediately,forheswamlikeacork,andcalledtome,beggedtobetakenin,toldmehewouldgoallovertheworldwithme. Heswamsostrongaftertheboatthathewouldhavereachedmeveryquickly,therebeingbutlittlewind; uponwhichIsteppedintothecabin,andfetchingoneofthefowling-pieces,Ipresenteditathim,andtoldhimIhaddonehimnohurt,andifhewouldbequietIwoulddohimnone. ‘But,’saidI,‘youswimwellenoughtoreachtotheshore,andtheseaiscalm;makethebestofyourwaytoshore,andIwilldoyounoharm; butifyoucomeneartheboatI’llshootyouthroughthehead,forIamresolvedtohavemyliberty;’ soheturnedhimselfabout,andswamfortheshore,andImakenodoubtbuthereacheditwithease,forhewasanexcellentswimmer.
IcouldhavebeencontenttohavetakenthisMoorwithme,andhavedrownedtheboy,buttherewasnoventuringtotrusthim. Whenhewasgone,Iturnedtotheboy,whomtheycalledXury,andsaidtohim, ‘Xury,ifyouwillbefaithfultome,I’llmakeyouagreatman;