CHAPTER EIGHT
FRIDAY AND THE SPANIARD
It was with surprise, one day, that Caruso saw steps in the sand, the footprints of a small man. He was instantly cautious. Not wanting to be caught by surprise by the cannibals he followed the footprints cautiously and melted into the jungle when he could hear voices.
He came across the group of natives doing a dance, wild with excitement. Their captives struggled helplessly, bound to stakes set in the ground. It looked to be one other black native, like themselves and a white man. Maybe a Spaniard, Crusoe thought to himself. He knew that natives could make themselves sick with drink and merriment and actually fall asleep before the feast was yet accomplished. He sneaked around to the other side of their camp. If he just waited a little while; they might fall into a stupor.
As he thought would happen, the wild screams and cries died out as the liquor, or whatever it was the natives was consuming started to take effect and they began to doze by the fire. Crusoe waited until he felt sure they were asleep and crept forward with his knife. He started to cut the binds on the native who almost cried out but he put his hand on the man’s mouth first and shushed him. The Spaniard came awake and was gladly smart enough to keep silent.
Crusoe cut the hide cords that bound the native man and then went slowly to the Spaniard and cut his ties. He motioned to them both to move slowly and quietly. They all moved into the jungle and Crusoe led them back to his cave. The Spaniard spoke no English but clearly understood the danger. Crusoe got out his rifle and made sure it was loaded and gave a knife to the native and a spear to the Spaniard. He grabbed some food and water in gourds he had hanging around the camp and led both men away from the camp to higher ground where they would be able to see and hear the cannibals coming from a distance and be ready.
The next morning, the natives awoke to find their prisoners gone and began to scream and holler. They organized a hunt as Crusoe thought they would do and before long did find his camp and began jumping up and down in fury. He made sure the gun was loaded and the gunpowder was dry. Screaming natives began running up the hill in their direction. Crusoe took very careful aim at the first most and fired. The man dropped on the spot. The others came to an immediate halt. They stopped and circled their comrade and then screaming, all ran down the hill yelling the whole way.
Crusoe and the other two men waited a long time and then heard nothing. He signaled them to follow him and he inched his way down close to the shore where the small canoes had been tied up and saw they were gone. The captors had clearly fled. All three jumped for joy and went back to Crusoe’s camp to celebrate and eat some real food.