us go and have t'other Brush with them; we'll demolish their Caftie, I'll warrant you, they hall plant no Colony in our Dominions.

Upon this, they went all Trooping away, with every Man a Gun, a Pistol, and a Sword, and mutter'd fome infolent Things among themfelves of what they would do to the Spaniards too, when Opportunity offer'd, but the Spaniards it feems did not fo perfectly understand them, as to know all the Particulars, only, that in general, they threatned them hard for taking the two English Mens part.

Whether they went, or how they bestow'd their time that Evening, the Spaniards faid, they did not know; but it feems they wandred about the Country, part of the Night, and then lying down in the Place which I used to call my Bower; they were weary and over-flept themselves. The Cafe was this, they had refolv'd to stay till Mid-night, and fo to take the two poor Men when they were afleep, and as they acknowledg'd afterwards, intended to fet Fire to their Huts while they were in them, and either burn them in them, or murther them as they came out, and as Malice feldom fleeps very found, it was very ftrange they should not have been kept waking.

However, as the two Men had alfo a Defign upon them, as I have faid, tho' a much fairer one than that of Burning and Murthering; it happen'd, and very luckily for them all, that they were up and one abroad, before the bloody-minded Regues came to their Huts.

When

When they came there and found the Men gone, Atkins, who it feems was the forwardest Man, call'd out to his Comrades, ha Jack, here's the Neft, but D.... m'em the Birds are flown; they mufed a while to think what should be the Occafion of their being gone abroad fo foon, and fuggefted prefently that the Spaniards had given them Notice of it, and with that they fhook Hands and fwore to one another that they would be reveng'd of the Spaniards; as foon as they had made this bloody Bargain they fell to work with the poor Men's Habitation, they did not fet Fire indeed to any thing, but they pull'd down both their little Houfes, and pull'd them fo Limb from Limb, that they left not the leaft Stick ftanding, or fcarce any Sign on the Ground where they ftood; they tore all their little collected Houfhold Stuff in Pieces, and threw every Thing about in fuch a manner, that the poor Men afterwards found fome of their Things a Mile off of their Habitation.

When they had done this, they pull'd up all the young Trees, the poor Men had planted, pull'd up an Enclofure they had made to fecure their Cattle and their Corn; and in a word, fack'd and plunder'd every thing, as compleatly as a Hoord of Tartars would have done.

The two Men were at this Juncture gone to find them out, and had refolved to fight them where-ever they had been, tho' they were but two to three: So that had they met, there certainly would have been blood fhed among them, for they were all very ftout refolute Fellows, to give them their due.

E 4

But

But Providence took more Care to keep them affunder, than they themselves could do to meet; for, as if they had dog'd one another, when the three were gone thither, the two were here, and afterwards when the two went back to find them, the three were come to the old Habitation again; we fhall fee their differing Conduct presently: When the three came back like furious Creatures flufh'd with the Rage, which the Work they had been about had put them into, they came up to the Spaniards, and told them what they had done, by way of Scoff and Bravado; and one of them ftepping up to one of the Spaniards, as if they had been a couple of Boys at Play, takes hold of his Hat, as it was upon his Head, and giving it a twirle about, fleering in his Face, fays he to him, And you, Seignior, Jack Spaniard, shall have the fame Sauce, if you do not mend your Manners: The Spaniard,who tho' a quiet civil Man, was as brave, as a Man could be defir'd to be, and withall a ftrong well-made Man, look'd fteadily at him for a good while, and then having no Weapon in his Hand, ftept gravely up to him, and with one blow of his Fift knock'd him down, as an Ox is fell'd with a Pole-Axe, at which one of the Rogues, infolent as the firft, fir'd his Piftol at the Spaniard immediately; he mifs'd his Body indeed, for the Bullets went thro' his Hair, but one of them touch'd the tip of his Ear, and he bled pretty much: The Blood made the Spaniard believe, he was more hurt than he really was, and that put him into fome Heat, for before, he acted all in a perfect Calm, but now refolving to go thro' with his Work, he ftoop'd to take the Fellows Musket who he had knock'd

down

down, and was juft going to fhoot the Man, and had fir'd at him, when the reft of the Spaniards being in the Cave came out, and calling to him not to shoot, they step'd in, fecur'd the other two, and took their Arms from them.

When they were thus difarm'd, and found they had made all the Spaniards their Enemies, as well as their own Countymen, they began to cool, and giving the Spaniards better Words, would have had their Arms again; but the Spaniards confidering the Feud that was between them and the other two English Men, and that it would be the best Method they could take to keep them from killing one another, told them, they would do them no harm, and if they would live peaceably, they would be very willing to affift and fociate with them, as they did before; but that they could not think of giving them their Arms again,while they appear'd fo refolv'd to do Mifchief with them to their own Countrymen, and had even threatned them all to make them their Servants.

The Rogues were now no more capable to hear Reason, than to act Reason, and being retus'd their Arms, they went raving away and raging like mad Men, threatning what they would do, tho' they had no Fire-Arms. But the Spaniards defpifing their Threatning, told them they fhould take Care how they offer'd any Injury to their Plantation or Cattle, for if they did, they would fhoot them as they would do ravenous Beafts, wherever they found them, and if they fell into their Hands alive, they fhould certainly be hang'd. However, this was far from cooling them, but away they went

raging and fwearing like Furies of Hell. As foon as they were gone, came back the two Men in Paffion and Rage enough alfo, tho' of another Kind; for having been at their Plantation, and finding it all demolish'd and deftroy'd, as above, it will ea fily be fuppos'd they had Provocation enough; they could fcarce have Room to tell their Tale, the Spaniards were fo eager to tell them theirs; and it was ftrange enough to find three Men thus bully nineteen, and receive no Punishment at all.

The Spaniards indeed defpifed them, and efpecially having thus difarm'd them, made light of all their Threatnings; but the two English Men refolv'd to have their Remedy against them, what Pain foever it cost to find them out.

But the Spaniards interpos'd here too, and old them, that as they had difarm'd them, they could not confent that they(the Two) fhould perfue them with Fire-Arms and perhaps kill them; but faid the grave Spaniard, who was their Governour, we will endeavour to make them do you Juftice if you will leave it to us, for as there is no doubt but they will come to us again when their Paffion is over, being not able to fubfift without cut Affiftance, we promise you to make no Peace with them, without having a full Satisfaction for you; upon this Condition we hope, you will promife to ufe no Violence with them, other than in your own De

fence.

The two English Men yielded to this very awkardly, and with great reluctance; but the Spaniards protcfted, they did it only to keep

them