Young Folks' Treasury, Volume 3 — Robinson Crusoe: Robinson Trains Friday And They Build A Large Boat, They Rescue Two Prisoners From The Cannibals

VI

ROBINSON TRAINS FRIDAY, AND THEY BUILD A LARGE BOAT; THEY RESCUE TWO PRISONERS FROM THE CANNIBALS

In a little while Robinson began to speak to him, and to try to teach him things.

First he made him understand that his name was to be "Friday" (that being the day of the week when Robinson had saved him from a horrible death).

Then he taught him the meaning of "Yes," and "No," and to call Robinson "Master."

Friday showed great quickness in learning.

He seemed to be happy and contented, and free from trouble, except that the clothes which Robinson made him wear gave him at first great discomfort, for in those warm parts of the world the natives are not used to clothes, but always go about naked.

The day following that on which Robinson had saved Friday, they went out together to see if there were any signs of the cannibals still being on the island, but it was evident that they had gone away without troubling about the two men whom Robinson had killed.

For some time Robinson did not trust Friday, and did not allow him to sleep in the same part of his castle with himself, but kept him at night in a little tent outside the fence.

Friday was quite faithful, never sulky nor lazy, but always merry, and ready to do anything that Robinson told him.

At first when they went out in the woods together, Friday was terrified each time that Robinson's gun was fired.

He had never seen anything like it, and it was more than he could understand how things could be killed merely by the noise and the flash of fire.

Friday told Robinson much about his country, and about his people, who he said were Caribs.

And a great way "beyond the moon," by which he meant to the west, he said that white men lived who had beards such as Robinson wore.

These white men, he said, had killed very many natives, from which Robinson fancied that they must be Spaniards, who about that time were very cruel to the people whose countries they had taken.

Robinson asked if Friday could tell him how he might get over to where the white men lived, and Friday said it would be very easy, if they had a big canoe, and again Robinson began to make plans and to hope to escape from the island.

Some time after this Robinson and Friday chanced to be on the high hill at the east end of the island.

The day was very clear.

Friday gazed long over the sea, and then began to jump and dance, pointing to the dim blue coast.

"There my country!

See!

There my people live!"

he said, his eyes sparkling with joy, and an eager light on his face.

After this, for a time Robinson was not easy in his mind about Friday.

He had little doubt that if he could get back to his tribe, he would soon forget all he had been taught, might even return with a hundred or two of his friends, and kill and eat his master.

But in this Robinson was very unjust to Friday, who had no such thoughts in his mind as those of which he was suspected.

And this Robinson soon found out.

One day he asked Friday if he would not be glad to be once more in his own land.

"Yes" said Friday; "very glad."

"Would you eat man's flesh again?"

"No, never," said Friday.

Then Robinson asked why he did not go back.

Friday said he would go if Robinson came too.

Then Robinson, who thought if he could reach other white men, he would finally reach England, began to build a boat in which to leave the island.

Together he and Friday went to work to fell a tree, and Friday soon showed that he knew far better than Robinson the kind of tree best suited for boat-making.

Robinson showed him how to use tools, and in a little more than a month the boat was finished.

After the boat was put into the water, Robinson was astonished at Friday's skill in paddling so large a canoe.

"Will she do to go over in?"

he asked, and Friday, grinning, said, "Yes, even if big wind blow."

But Robinson did not mean to depend on paddling, and fitted the boat with a mast, sails and rudder.

Twenty-six years had passed since Robinson came to the island, and he still went on digging and sowing.

One morning he sent Friday down to the beach for a turtle.

Back he came in a great hurry, crying out, "Master!

Master!

over yonder, one, two, three canoe."

Loading his guns, Robinson gave them to Friday to carry, while he armed himself with muskets, a cutlass, and a hatchet.

When all was ready he went up the hill with his telescope, and saw that there were in all twenty-one savages, with three prisoners, one of whom was a white man.

Robinson knew the savages had landed on the island to kill and eat their prisoners, so he resolved to prevent them if possible.

To get at the savages without being seen, they had to go nearly a mile out of their way, and being heavily laden they could not go very fast.

Reaching the place, they saw, from behind a clump of bushes, the white man bound hand and foot on the sand.

There was no time to lose, and their first shot killed three and wounded five of the savages.

Snatching up fresh guns, both fired again, before the savages who were not hurt could get on their feet, for they were so taken by surprise, that the poor wretches hardly knew what was happening.

This time only two dropped, but many more were wounded.

While Friday kept on firing, Robinson ran to the white prisoner and cut his bonds.

The man said he was a Spaniard and began to thank Robinson for what he had done.

Robinson handed him the cutlass and a pistol, telling him, if he had any strength left, to go and do what he could against the savages.

As soon as the man got the weapons in his hands, he ran with fury at the cannibals and cut two down, and with equal fury attacked the rest.

With the Spaniard to help them, Robinson and Friday were soon able to clear the place of these dreadful cannibals, many of whom jumped into the sea.

Friday advised Robinson to take a canoe and go after them lest they return with hundreds of others to avenge the death of their friends.

So the two ran to the beach and began to shove off a canoe.

But to their surprise, on the bottom of the canoe lay another prisoner, an old man, tied so hard, neck and heels, that even when his bonds were cut he could not move.

No sooner did Friday look at him and hear him speak, than he began to dance and shout and laugh, and then kneeling down, rubbed noses with the savage (which is what these folks do instead of kissing each other), and he was so excited that for some time he could not explain what was the matter.

As soon as he could speak, he told Robinson that the man whom they had found was his father.

Both Friday's father and the Spaniard, who was worn out with fighting, had to be carried up to the castle.

No cannibals were ever again known to visit this island.