The Life and Adventures of Robinson Crusoe (1808) Part 40

But to make this more difficult, our Portuguese, with indefatigable application, cut down great arms of the trees, and laid them hanging, not cut quite off, from one tree to another; so that he made a continued fence almost round us.

We staid here, waiting the motion of the enemy some hours, without perceiving they made any offer to stir; when about two hours before night, they came down directly upon us; and, though we had not perceived it, we found they had been joined by some more of the same, so that they were near fourscore horse, whereof, however, we fancied some were women.

They came in till they were within half a shot of our little wood, when we fired one musket without ball, and called to them in the Russian tongue, to know what they wanted, and bid them keep off; but, as if they knew nothing of what we said, they came on with a double fury directly to the wood-side, not imagining we were so barricaded, that they could not break in. Our old pilot was our captain, as well as he had been our engineer; and desired of us, not to fire upon them till they came within pistol shot, that we might be sure to kill; and that, when we did fire, we should be sure to take good aim. We bade him give the word of command; which he delayed so long, that they were, some of them, within two pikes length of us when we fired.

We aimed so true, (or Providence directed our shot so sure) that we killed fourteen of them at the first volley, and wounded several others, as also several of their horses; for we had all of us loaded our pieces with two or three bullets apiece at least.

They were terribly surprised with our fire, and retreated immediately about one hundred rods from us; in which time we loaded our pieces again, and, seeing them keep that distance, we sallied out, and caught four or five of their horses, whose riders, we supposed, were killed; and coming up to the dead, we could easily perceive they were Tartars, but knew not from what country, or how they came to make an excursion such an unusual length.

About an hour after, they made a motion to attack us again, and rode round our little wood, to see where else they might break in; but finding us always ready to face them, they went off again, and we resolved not to stir from the place for that night.

We slept but little, you may be sure; but spent the most part of the night in strengthening our situation, and barricading the entrances into the wood; and, keeping a strict watch, we waited for daylight, and, when it came, it gave us a very unwelcome discovery indeed: for the enemy, who we thought were discouraged with the reception they had met with, were now increased to no less than three hundred, and had set up eleven or twelve huts and tents, as if they were resolved to besiege us; and this little camp they had pitched, was upon the open plain, at about three quarters of a mile from us. We were indeed surprised at this discovery; and now, I confess, I gave myself over for lost, and all that I had. The loss of my effects did not lie so near me (though they were very considerable) as the thoughts of falling into the hands of such barbarians, at the latter end of my journey, after so many difficulties and hazards as I had gone through; and even in sight of our port, where we expected safety and deliverance. As for my partner, he was raging: he declared, that to lose his goods would be his ruin; and he would rather die than be starved; and he was for fighting to the last drop.

The young lord, as gallant as ever flesh shewed itself, was for fighting to the last also; and my old pilot was of the opinion we were able to resist them all, in the situation we then were in: and thus we spent the day in debates of what we should do; but towards evening, we found that the number of our enemies still increased: perhaps, as they were abroad in several parties for prey, the first had sent out scouts to call for help, and to acquaint them of their booty; and we did not know but by the morning they might still be a greater number; so I began to inquire of those people we had brought from Tobolski, if there were no other, or more private ways, by which we might avoid them in the night, and perhaps either retreat to some town, or get help to guard us over the desert.

The Siberian, who was servant to the young lord, told us, if we designed to avoid them, and not fight, he would engage to carry us off in the night to a way that went north towards the river Petraz, by which he made no doubt but we might get away, and the Tartars never the wiser; but he said, his lord had told him he would not return, but would rather choose to fight. I told him, he mistook his lord; for that he was too wise a man to love fighting for the sake of it; that I knew his lord was brave enough by what he had shewed already; but that his lord knew better than to desire to have seventeen or eighteen men fight five hundred, unless an unavoidable necessity forced them to it; and that if he thought it possible for us to escape in the night, we had nothing else to do but to attempt it. He answered, if his lord gave him such order, he would lose his life if he did not perform it. We soon brought his lord to give that order, though privately, and we immediately prepared for the putting it in practice.

And first, as soon as it began to be dark, we kindled a fire in our little camp, which we kept burning, and prepared so as to make it burn all night, that the Tartars might conclude we were still there; but, as soon as it was dark, that is to say, so as we could see the stars, (for our guide would not stir before) having all our horses and camels ready loaded, we followed our new guide, who, I soon found, steered himself by the pole or north star, all the country being level for a long way.

After we had travelled two hours very hard, it began to be lighter still; not that it was quite dark all night, but the moon; began to rise; so that, in short, it was rather lighter than we wished it to be; but by six o'clock next morning we were gotten near forty miles, though the truth is, we almost spoiled our horses. Here we found a Russian village, named Kirmazinskoy, where we rested, and heard, nothing of the Kalmuck Tartars that day. About two hours before night we set out again, and travelled till eight the next morning, though not quite so hastily as before; and about seven o'clock we pa.s.sed a little river, called Kirtza, and came to a good large town inhabited by Russians, and very populous, called Ozomya. There we heard, that several troops or herds of Kalmucks had been abroad upon the desert, but that we were now completely out of danger of them, which was to our great satisfaction, you may be sure. Here we were obliged to get some fresh horses, and having need enough of rest, we staid five days; and my partner and I agreed to give the honest Siberian, who brought us. .h.i.ther, the value of ten pistoles for his conducting us.

In five days more we came to Veussima, upon the river Witzogda, which running into the river Dwina, we were there very happily near the end of our travels by land, that river being navigable in seven days pa.s.sage to Archangel. From hence we came to Lawrenskoy, where the river joins, the third of July; and provided ourselves with two luggage-boats, and a barge, for our convenience. We embarked the seventh, and arrived all safe at Archangel the eighteenth, having been a year, five months, and three days on the journey, including our stay of eight months and odd days at Tobolski.

We were obliged to stay at this place six weeks for the arrival of the s.h.i.+ps, and must have tarried longer, had not a Hamburgher come in above a month sooner than any of the English s.h.i.+ps; when after some consideration, that the city of Hamburgh might happen to be as good a market for our goods as London, we all took freight with him; and having put our goods on board, it was most natural for me to put my steward, on board to take care of them; by which means my young lord had a sufficient opportunity to conceal himself, never coming on sh.o.r.e again in all the time we staid there; and this he did, that he might not be seen in the city, where some of the Moscow merchants would certainly have seen and discovered him.

We sailed from Archangel the twentieth of August the same year; and, after no extraordinary bad voyage, arrived in the Elbe the thirteenth of September. Here my partner and I found a very good sale for our goods, as well those of China, as the sables, &c. of Siberia; and dividing the produce of our effects my share amounted to 3475_l_. 17_s_. 3_d_.

notwithstanding so many losses we had sustained, and charges we had been at; only remembering that I had included, in this, about 600_l_. worth of diamonds, which I had purchased at Bengal.

Here the young lord took his leave of us, and went up to the Elbe, in order to go to the court of Vienna, where he resolved to seek protection, and where he could correspond with those of his father's friends who were left alive. He did not part without all the testimonies he could give of grat.i.tude for the service I had done him, and his sense of my kindness to the prince his father.

To conclude: having staid near four mouths in Hamburgh, I came from thence over land to the Hague, where I embarked in the packet, and arrived in London the tenth of January 1705, having been gone from England ten years and nine months.

And here, resolving to hara.s.s myself no more, I am preparing for a longer journey than all these, having lived seventy-two years a life of infinite variety, and learnt sufficiently to know the value of retirement, and the blessing of ending our days in peace.