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第2章 决战轩辕紫光

　　I told the clergyman, word for word, what he said, and thisaffectionate man could not refrain from tears; but, recoveringhimself, said to me, "Ask him but one question. Is he easy that itis too late; or is he troubled, and wishes it were not so?" I putthe question fairly to Atkins; and he answered with a great deal ofpassion, "How could any man be easy in a condition that mustcertainly end in eternal destruction? that he was far from beingeasy; but that, on the contrary, he believed it would one time orother ruin him." - "What do you mean by that?" said I. - "Why," hesaid, "he believed he should one time or other cut his throat, toput an end to the terror of it."

　　To conclude: having stayed near four months in Hamburgh, I camefrom thence by land to the Hague, where I embarked in the packet,and arrived in London the 10th of January 1705, having been absentfrom England ten years and nine months. And here, resolving toharass myself no more, I am preparing for a longer journey than allthese, having lived seventy-two years a life of infinite variety,and learned sufficiently to know the value of retirement, and theblessing of ending our days in peace.

　　My coming was a particular relief to these people, because wefurnished them with knives, scissors, spades, shovels, pick-axes,and all things of that kind which they could want. With the helpof those tools they were so very handy that they came at last tobuild up their huts or houses very handsomely, raddling or workingit up like basket-work all the way round. This piece of ingenuity,although it looked very odd, was an exceeding good fence, as wellagainst heat as against all sorts of vermin; and our men were sotaken with it that they got the Indians to come and do the like forthem; so that when I came to see the two Englishmen's colonies,they looked at a distance as if they all lived like bees in a hive.

　　The city of Naum, which we were approaching, is a frontier of theChinese empire, and is fortified in their fashion. We wanted, as Ihave said, above two days' journey of this city when messengerswere sent express to every part of the road to tell all travellersand caravans to halt till they had a guard sent for them; for thatan unusual body of Tartars, making ten thousand in all, hadappeared in the way, about thirty miles beyond the city.

　　When they came there, and found the men gone, Atkins, who it seemswas the forwardest man, called out to his comrade, "Ha, Jack,here's the nest, but the birds are flown." They mused a while, tothink what should be the occasion of their being gone abroad sosoon, and suggested presently that the Spaniards had given themnotice of it; and with that they shook hands, and swore to oneanother that they would be revenged of the Spaniards. As soon asthey had made this bloody bargain they fell to work with the poormen's habitation; they did not set fire, indeed, to anything, butthey pulled down both their houses, and left not the least stickstanding, or scarce any sign on the ground where they stood; theytore all their household stuff in pieces, and threw everythingabout in such a manner, that the poor men afterwards found some oftheir things a mile off. When they had done this, they pulled upall the young trees which the poor men had planted; broke down anenclosure they had made to secure their cattle and their co

ncreaseand recruit their number, as by the particular necessaryemployments which they were bred to, being artificers, to assistthem in those things in which at present they were in want.

l for his work;and he formed out of the iron crows a middling good anvil to hammerupon: in this manner he made many things, but especially hooks,staples, and spikes, bolts and hinges. But to return to the house:after he had pitched the roof of his innermost tent, he worked itup between the rafters with basket-work, so firm, and thatched thatover again so ingeniously with rice-straw, and over that a largeleaf of a tree, which covered the top, that his house was as dry asif it had been tiled or slated. He owned, indeed, that the savageshad made the basket-work for him. The outer circuit was covered asa lean-to all round this inner apartment, and long rafters lay fromthe thirty-two angles to the top posts of the inner house, beingabout twenty feet distant, so that there was a space like a walkwithin the outer wicker-wall, and without the inner, near twentyfeet wide.

　　CHAPTER XIV - ATTACKED BY TARTARS

　　W.A. - Alas! my poor creature, I have not this book; but I hope Ishall one time or other get it for you, and help you to read it.