Robinson ran to the white prisoner and cut his bonds
Whilst Friday kept on firing, Robinson ran to the white prisoner and cut his bonds, helping him on to his feet, and giving him some rum from the bottle he had brought. The man, on being asked what countryman he was, answered that he was a Spaniard, and he began to thank Robinson for what he had done. But Robinson, who could speak a little Spanish, stopped him, saying, ‘Señor, we will talk afterwards. At present we must fight.’ And he gave the Spaniard the cutlass from his belt and a pistol, telling him, if he had 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, then turned, and with equal fury attacked the rest.
Robinson now sent Friday for the muskets which had been left under the tree, and began quickly to reload them, giving Friday the musket which he himself had been carrying, but which he had not fired.
Meantime the Spaniard had attacked a very big, powerful savage who was armed with a club, and though with his cutlass he had twice wounded the cannibal in the head, yet from being bound so long the white man was weak, and now looked like getting the worst of it. For the savage, making a rush, closed with him and threw him, and in the struggle had nearly wrenched the cutlass out of his hand, when the Spaniard suddenly quitting his hold, drew his pistol and shot the man through the body, killing him on the spot.
The other natives were now scattered in every direction, and Friday, running after them with his hatchet, killed all of them except one who had been wounded by the Spaniard, and who, in spite of his wounds, jumped into the sea and swam out to the canoe in which were the two others who had got away.
Friday advised Robinson to take another of the canoes and go after them; and Robinson agreed, for he thought that if any escaped they would be certain to come back, bringing 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. He groaned and lay still, perhaps thinking that he was only being untied to be killed.
Robinson handed the rum to Friday and told him to pour some down the poor man’s throat, which seemed to revive him, for he sat up.
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. The poor creature’s wrists and ankles were chafed and stiff from being so long bound, and he was parched with thirst.
Friday ran and fetched water for him, and then with rum rubbed his father’s wrists and ankles. Those of the Spaniard also were so dreadfully cut and swollen, and he was so worn out with fighting, that Friday had to carry him on his back to the canoe. Then he paddled the two men along to the creek, whilst Robinson walked. But both men had to be carried up to the castle, and Robinson was forced to rig up a tent for them outside, because it was not possible for him and Friday to lift them over the fence.