# ■ 8 Escape from the island

I was now in my twenty—seventh year on the island，and I did not want to be there for another year. We worked hard to get the corn in，and to make a lot of bread. We had dried fruit and salted meat，and big pots to keep water in. One evening Friday went out to look for a turtle for meat and eggs. But in less than an hour he was back，and he looked very afraid.

Master！Master！'he cried. 'There's a great ship near the island，and men are coming to the shore in a boat！'

I jumped up and ran with him down to the shore. To my great surprise，I saw that it was an English ship！But why was it here？English ships never came this way. Perhaps they were pirates！'Don't let them see you，Friday！'I called. 'We'll hide in the trees and watch. '

There were eleven men in the boat，but three of them were prisoners. Their arms were tied with rope，but their legs were free and they could walk. The other sailors pushed the three prisoners up the beach，laughing and shouting and hitting them. Then some of them sat down on the sand and began to drink. Others walked away to look at the island，and two men stayed to watch the boat. The three prisoners walked slowly a-long the beach and sat down under a tree，not far from us. They looked very unhappy.

Very quietly，I came up behind them through the trees，and called out to them in English.

Don't be afraid，'I said. 'I'm an Englishman. Perhaps I can help you. '

The three men turned and looked at me. They did not answer at once；they were too surprised. Perhaps they thought I was a wild man myself，in my strange home—made clothes of animals' skins，and with my long hair and beard. Then the old－east man spoke.

I am the captain of that ship，'he said，'and these two men are my first and second officers. Last night there was a mutiny，and the seamen took the ship from me. Now they're going to leave the three of us here，to die on this island. '

De these mutineers have guns？'

Only two，'he answered，'and they've left those on the boat. '

All righ，'I said. 'We'll fight them，but if we get your ship back for you，you must take me back to England. '

The captain agreed immediately and thanked me very warm－ly for my help. Friday ran back to my house to get all the guns，and the captain and I made a plan.

The first part was easy because the seamen were not ready for a fight. We shot the two men at the boat，and the captain shot another man. This man，Tom Smith，was the worst of them all and he began the mutiny on the ship. Then the cap-tain talked to the other five men，and they agreed to help him. They did not really want to be mutineers，but they were afraid of Tom Smith.

Now，'I said to the captain，'we must get back your ship. How many men are on it？'

Twenty－six，'the captain replied，'and they will fight hard because they won't want to go home. It is death for all muti-neers in England. But not all the men are bad. I'm sure that some of them will help me. '

Just then we saw another boat，which was coming from the ship to the shore. There were ten men in it，and they all had guns. We ran into the trees and waited.

It was a long hard fight，but by now it was dark and this helped us very much. We ran here and there in the trees，call-ing and shouting. The seamen could not see us and did not know how many men they were fighting. In the end the first officer shouted to them：

Put down your guns and stop fightng！The captain has fifty island people to help him. We can kill you all！'

So the seamen stopped fighting and we took their guns. Three of the men agreed to come back to the captain，and we put the others in my cave. Friday and I stayed to watch the prisoners，while the captain and his men went back to fight for the ship.

All night we listened to the sound of guns and shouting，but in the morning，when the sun came up，the captain was master of his ship again. I went down to the shore to meet him.

My dear friend，'he cried，'There's your ship！I'll take you to the ends of the world in it！'

I put my arms round him，and we laughed and cried together. How happy I was to leave the ialand！

My good friend Friday came with me，of course，but we left the mutineers on the island. We decided not to kill them；they could begin a new life on the island. I showed them my three houses，my cornfields and my goats，and all my tools. Their life would he easy because of all my hard work for so many years.

And so，on the nineteenth of December 1689-after twen-ty-seven years，two months and nineteen days-I said good-bye to my island and sailed home to England.

■ 8 逃離孤島

現在我在這島上已經呆了27年，我不願再呆下去了。我們勤勞地工作，收割穀物，製成許多面包。我們準備了乾果、鹹肉和裝水的大罐子。一天傍晚，星期五為了吃肉和海龜蛋去抓海龜。但不到一個鐘頭他就回來了。他看起來非常害怕。

“主人！主人！”他叫喊著。“在島的附近有一隻大船，他們坐著一條小船上岸來了！”

我跳起來跟他一起下山朝岸邊跑。令我非常驚奇的是，我看到那是一艘英國船！但為什麼會在這兒？英國船隻從不朝這個方向來。或許他們是海盜！“別讓他們看見你，星期五！”我叫到。“我們躲到樹後，瞧著。”

船上有11個人，但其中3個是俘虜。他們的手臂用繩子捆著，但他們的腳是自由的，可以走路。其他水手把這3個俘虜押到海灘上，笑著，叫著並踢他們。一些人坐在沙灘上開始喝酒。其他人走開去觀察小島，留下兩個人看守小船。3個俘虜沿著海灘走得很慢，在離我們不遠的樹下坐了下來。他們顯得非常沮喪。

我悄悄地穿過樹叢走到他們後面，用英語招呼他們。

“不要害怕，”我說。“我是英國人。或許我能幫助你們。”

這3個人轉過身來看著我。他們沒有馬上回答；他們很驚訝。可能會認為我這個穿著用動物皮毛自制的古怪衣服，長長的頭髮和鬍鬚的人是個野人。稍後，最年長的人說話了。

“我是船長，”他說，“這兩個是我的大副和二副。昨晚發生了一場叛亂，水手奪走了我的船。現在他們將把我們3人丟在這兒，讓我們死在島上。”

“這些反叛者有槍麼？”

“只有兩支槍，”他回答，“他們把槍留在小船上了。”

“好的，”我說。“我們來打他們，但是如果我們為你奪回了船，你們必須帶我回英國去。”

船長立即同意並熱情感謝我的幫助。星期五跑回房子取來所有的槍，船長和我作了計劃。

第一步還是容易的，因為水手沒有作戰的準備。我們開槍打死了船上的兩人，船長擊斃了另一個。這個叫湯姆·史密斯的，是其中最壞的一個。他發動了這個船上的叛亂。然後船長和其他5個人談話，他們答應幫助船長。他們並非真的想成為反叛者，只是他們畏懼湯姆·史密斯。

“現在，”我對船長說，“我們必須回到你的船上。船上有多少人？”

“26個，”船長回答，“他們會頑強抵抗，因為他們不想回家。在英國所有的反叛者都會處以死刑。但並非所有的人都壞。我相信有一些人會幫助我的。”

這時我們看見另一隻小船，正離開大船向岸邊駛來。船上有10個人，他們都帶了槍。我們跑進樹叢等著。

這是一場艱苦的持久戰，但此刻天已黑了，這對我們很有利。我們在樹叢裡到處跑，叫喊著。水手們看不見我們也不知道和他們打仗的有多少人。最後，大副朝他們喊：

“放下武器。停止戰鬥！船長得到了50名島上居民的幫助，我們能把你們全部消滅！”

因此水手們停止了作戰，我們繳了他們的槍。其中3人同意回到船長這邊，我們把其餘的人送進我的山洞裡。我和星期五留下看守俘虜，而船長和他的手下回去為奪船而戰鬥。

整夜我們聽見槍聲及叫喊聲，但到了早晨，當太陽升起時，船長又成了大船的主人。我下山到海岸邊去迎接他。

“我親愛的朋友，”他喊道。“那是你的船！我會用他把你載到世界的每個角落！”

我擁抱他，我們一起又笑又叫。離開這個小島我是多麼高興啊！

我的好朋友星期五當然跟隨著我，但我們把那些叛亂者留在了島上。我們決定不殺他們；他們能夠在島上開始一種新的生活。我給他們看了我的三間房子，我的莊稼地和我的山羊以及所有的工具。由於我的多年的艱苦勞動他們的生活會輕鬆得多。

於是，在1686年12月19日——經過了27年2個月19天——我告別了我的小島乘船返回了英國。