Page:Eventful life, and curious adventures of Peter Williamson.pdf/18

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The Life of Peter Williamson.

with his party where he thought proper. I still belonged to my old masters, but was left behind on the mountains with ten Indians, to stay until the rest should return. Here being left I began to meditate on my escape; and though I knew the country round extremely well, having been often thereabouts w i;h my companions hunting deer, and other beasts, yet was I very cautious of giving the least suspicion of such my intention. However, the third day after the grand body left-us, my companions or keepers thought proper to visit the mountains in search of game for their subsistence, leaving me bound in such a manner that I could not escape: at night, w hen they returned, having unbound me, we all sat down together to supper on two pole-cats, being what they had killed, and soon after (being greatly fatigued with their day’s excursion) they composed themselves to rest as usual. Observing them to be in that somniferous state, I tried various ways to see whether it was a scheme to prove my intentions or not; but after making a noise, and walking about, sometimes touching them with my feet, I found there wa» do fallacy. My heart then exulted with joy at seeing a time come that I might in all probability be delivered from my captivity, but this joy was soon damped by the dread of being discovered by them, or taken by any straggling

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parties. To prevent which, I resolved, if possible, to get one of their guns, and, if discovered, to die in my defence rather than be taken; for that purpose, I made various efibrts to get one from under their heads (where they always secured them), but in vain. Frustrated in this my first essay towards regaining my liberty, I dreaded the thoughts of carrying my design into execution : yet after a little consideration, and trusting myself to the divine protection, I set forwards naked and defenceless as 1 was. A rash and dangerous enterprise; such was my terror, however, that in going from them 1 halted and paused every four and five yards, looking fearfully towards the spot where I had left them, lest they should awake and miss me; but when I was about two hundred yards from them, I mended my pace, and made as much haste as I could to the foot of the mountains; when on a sudden I was struck with the greatest terror and amaze at hearing the wood-cry, as it is called, and may be expressed jit hau! jo kau ! which the savages I had left were making, accompanied with the most hideous cries and bowlings they could utter. The more ray terror increas- ,! ed the faster did I push on, and scarce knowing where 1 trode, drove through the woods with the utmost precipitation, sometimes falling and bruising myself, cutting my feet and legs ; against the stones in a miserable’,!