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Today we will be concluding the Life and Adventures of Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe.

Chapter 20 Fight between Friday and a Bear but never was a fight managed so heartily and in such a surprising manner as that which followed between Friday and the bear which gave us all.

Though at first we were surprised and afraid for him the greatest diversion imaginable.

As the bear is a heavy, clumsy creature, and does not gallop as the wolf does, who is swift and light, so he has two particular qualities, which generally are the rule of his actions.

First, as to men who are not its proper prey, he does not usually attempt them, except they first attack him, unless he be excessively hungry, which it is probable might now be the case, the ground being covered with snow.

If you do not meddle with him, he will not meddle with you.

But then you must take care to be very civil to him, and give him the road, for he's a very nice gentleman he will not go a step out of his way for a prince.

Nay, if you are really afraid, your best way is to look another way and keep going on, for sometimes if you stop and stand still and look steadfastly at him, he takes it for an affront.

But if you throw or toss anything at him, though it were but a bit of a stick as big as your finger.

He thinks himself abused, and sets all other business aside to pursue his revenge, and will have satisfaction and point of honor.

That is his first quality.

The next is, if he be once affronted, he will never leave you, night or day, till he has his revenge, but follows at a good round rate till he overtakes you.

My man Friday had delivered our guide, and when we came up to him, he was helping him off his horse, for the man was both hurt and frightened, when on a sudden we aspied the bear come out of the wood, and a monstrous one it was, the biggest by far that ever I saw.

We were all a little surprised when we saw him, but when Friday saw him, it was easy to see joy and courage in the fellow's countenance.

Oh.

Says Friday three times, pointing to him.

Oh, master, you give me to leave me shaky to hand with him.

Me make you good laugh.

I was surprised to see the fellow so well pleased.

You fool, says I, he will eat you up.

Eating me up, eating me up.

Says Friday twice over again.

Me eating him up.

Me make you good laugh.

You all stay here.

Me show you good laugh.

So downey sits and gets off his boots in a moment, and puts on a pair of pumps, as we call the flat shoes they wear, in which he had in his pocket gives my other servant his horse, and with his gun away he flew, swift like the wind.

The bear was walking softly on, and offered to meddle with nobody till Friday, coming pretty near calls to him, as if the bear could understand him.

Arky harky.

Says Friday, me speaky with you.

We followed at a distance, for now, being down on the Gascony side of the mountains.

We were entered a vast forest, where the country was plain and pretty open, though it had many trees and had scattered here and there.

Friday, who had, as we say, the heels of the bear, came up with him quickly and took up a great stone and threw it at him, and hit him just on the head, but did him no more harm than if he had thrown it against a wall.

But it answered Friday's end, for the rogue was so void of fear that he did it purely to make the bear follow him and show us some laugh, as he called it.

As soon as the bear felt the blow and saw him, he turns about and comes after him, taking very long strides and shuffling on at a strange rate, so as would have put a horse to a middling gallop.

Away runs Friday and takes his course as if he ran towards us for help.

So we all resolved to fire it once upon the bear and deliver my man.

Though I was angry at him for bringing the bear back upon us when he was going about his own business another way and especially I was angry that he had turned the bear upon us and then ran away.

And I called out, you dog, is this you're making us laugh?

Come away and take your horse that we may shoot the creature.

He heard me and cried out, no shoot.

No shoot.

Stand still and you get much laugh.

And as the nimble creature ran 2ft for the bear's one, he turned on a sudden on one side of us and seeing a great oak tree fit for his purpose, he beckoned to us to follow and doubling its pace, he got nimly up the tree, laying his gun down upon the ground at about five or six yards from the bottom of the tree.

The bear soon came to the tree and we followed at a distance.

The first thing he did, he stopped at the gun, smelt at it, but let it lie, and the uppie scrambles into the tree, climbing like a cat, though so monstrous heavy.

I was amazed at the folly as I thought it of my man and could not for my life see anything to laugh at till seeing the bear get up the tree, we all rode near to him.

When we came to the tree, there was Friday got out to the small end of a large branch and the bear got about halfway to him.

As soon as the bear got out to that part where the limb of the tree was weaker ha, says he to us, now you see me teach you the bear dance.

So he began jumping and shaking the bough at which the bear began to totter but stood still and began to look behind him to see how he should get back.

Then indeed, we did laugh heartily but Friday had not done with him by a great deal.

When, seeing him stand still, he called out to him again as if he had supposed the bear could speak English.

What?

You come no farther.

Pray you, come farther.

So he left jumping and shaking the tree and the bear, just as if he understood what he said, did come a little farther.

Then he began jumping again, and the bear stopped again.

We thought now was a good time to knock him in the head and called the Friday to stand still and we should shoot the bear.

But he cried out earnestly, oh, pray, oh, pray, no, shoot me, shoot.

By.

And then he would have said bye and by.

However, to shorten the story friday danced so much and the bear stood so ticklish that we had laughing enough but still could not imagine what the fellow would do.

For first we thought he depended upon shaking the bear off.

And we found the bear was too cunning for that too for he would not go out far enough to be thrown down but clung fast with his great broad claws and feet so that we could not imagine what would be the end of it and what the jest would be at last.

But Friday put us out of doubt quickly, first seeing the bear cling fast to the bow, and that he would not be persuaded to come any farther.

Well, well, says Friday, you come no farther.

Me go.

You know come to me.

Me come to you.

And upon this he went out to the smaller end, where it would bend with his weight and gently let himself down by it, sliding down the bow till he came near enough to jump down on his feet.

And away he ran to his gun, took it up, and stood still.

Well, said I to him Friday, what do you do now?

Why don't you shoot him?

No.

Shoot says Friday.

No yet.

Me shoot now.

Me no kill.

Me stay.

Give you one more laugh.

And indeed so he did, for when the bear saw his enemy gone, he came back from the bow where he stood, but did it very cautiously, looking behind him every step and coming backward till he got into the body of the tree.

Then with the same hinder end foremost, he came down the tree, grasping it with his claws and moving 1ft at a time, very leisurely at this juncture.

And just before he could set his hind foot on the ground, friday stepped up close to him, clapped the muzzle of his piece into his ear, and shot him dead.

Then the rogue turned about to see if we did not laugh, and when he saw we were pleased by our looks, he began to laugh very loud.

So we kill bear in my country, says Friday.

So you kill them, says I.

Why, you have no guns.

No, says he, no gun but shoot great much long arrow.

This was a good diversion to us, but we were still in a wild place and our guide very much hurt, and what to do, we hardly knew.

The howling of wolves ran much in my head, and indeed, except the noise I once heard on the shore of Africa, of which I have said something already.

I never heard anything that filled me with so much horror.

These things and the approach of night called us off, or else, as Friday would have had us, we should certainly have taken the skin of this monstrous creature off, which was worth saving.

But we had near three leagues to go, and our guide hastened thus, so we left him and went forward on our journey.

The ground was still covered with snow, though not so deep and dangerous as on the mountains.

And the ravenous creatures, as we heard afterwards, were come down into the forest in plain country, pressed by hunger to seek for food, and had done a great deal of mischief in the villages where they surprised the country.

People killed a great many of their sheep and horses, and some people, too.

We had one dangerous place to pass, and our guide told us if there were more wolves in the country, we should find them there.

And this was a small plain surrounded with woods on every side and a long narrow defile or lane which we were to pass to get through the wood, and then we should come to the village where we were to lodge.

It was within half an hour of sunset when we entered the wood, and a little after sunset when we came into the plain.

We met with nothing in the first wood except that in a little plane within the wood, which was not above two furlongs over, we saw five great wolves cross the road full speed, one after another, as if they had been in chase of some prey and had it in view.

They took no notice of us and were gone out of sight in a few moments.

Upon this our guide, who by the way, was but a faint hearted fellow, bid us keep in a ready posture, for he believed there were more wolves coming.

We kept our arms ready and our eyes about us, but we saw no more wolves till we came through that wood which was near half a league, and entered the plane.

As soon as we came into the plane we had occasion enough to look about us.

The first object we met with was a dead horse, that is to say, a poor horse which the wolves had killed and at least a dozen of them at work.

We could not say eating him, but picking his bones rather for they had eaten up all the flesh before we did not think fit to disturb them at their feast.

Neither did they take much notice of us.

Friday would have let fly at them, but I would not suffer him by any means for I found we were like to have more business upon our hands than we were aware of.

We had not gone half over the plain when we began to hear the wolves howl in the wood on our left in a frightful manner.

And presently after, we saw about a hundred coming on directly towards us, all in a body and most of them in a line as regularly as an army drawn up by experienced officers.

I scarce knew in what manner to receive them, but found to draw ourselves in a close line was the only way.

So we formed in a moment but that we might not have too much interval.

I ordered that only every other man should fire and that the others who had not fired should stand ready to give them a second volley immediately if they continued to advance upon us.

And then that those that had fired at first should not pretend to load their fuses again, but stand ready everyone with a pistol, for we were all armed with a fuse and a pair of pistols each man.

So we were by this method able to fire six volleys, half of us at a time.

However, at present we had no necessity, for upon firing the first volley, the enemy made a full stop, being terrified as well with the noise as with the fire, four of them being shot in the head, dropped.

Several others were wounded and went bleeding off, as we could see by the snow.

I found they stopped, but did not immediately retreat, whereupon, remembering that I had been told that the fiercest creatures were terrified at the voice of a man, I caused all the company to halu as loud as they could, and I found the notion not altogether mistaken, for upon our shout, they began to retire and turn about.

I then ordered a second volley to be fired in their rear, which put them to a gallop, and away they went to the woods.

This gave us leisure to charge our pieces again, and that we might lose no time.

We kept going, but we had but little more than loaded our fuses and put ourselves in readiness, when we heard a terrible noise in the same wood on our left, only that it was farther onward, the same way we were to go.

The night was coming on, and the light began to be dusky, which made it worse on our side.

But the noise increasing, we could easily perceive that it was the howling and yelling of those hellish creatures, and on a sudden we perceived three troops of wolves, one on our left, one behind us, and one in our front, so that we seemed to be surrounded with them.

However, as they did not fall upon us, we kept our way forward as fast as we could make our horses go, which the way, being very rough, was only a good hard trot.

In this manner we came in view of the entrance of a wood through which we were to pass at the farther side of the plain.

But we were greatly surprised when, coming nearer the laner pass, we saw a confused number of wolves standing just at the entrance.

On a sudden, at another opening of the wood, we heard the noise of a gun, and, looking that way outrushed, a horse with a saddle and a bridle on him, flying like the wind, and 16 or 17 wolves after him full speed.

The horse had the advantage of him, but as we supposed, that he could not hold it at that rate, we doubted not, but they would get up with him at last, no question, but they did.

But here we had a most horrible sight.

For riding up to the entrance, where the horse came out, we found the carcasses of another horse and of two men devoured by the ravenous creatures.

And one of the men was no doubt the same whom we heard fire the gun.

For there lay a gun just by him, fired off.

But as to the man, his head and the upper part of his body was eaten up.

This filled us with horror, and we knew not what course to take.

But the creatures resolved us soon, for they gathered about us presently in hopes of prey, and I verily believed there were 300 of them.

It happened very much to our advantage that at the entrance into the wood, but a little way from it, there lay some large timber trees which had been cut down the summer before and I suppose lay there for carriage.

I drew my little troop in among those trees and placed ourselves in a line behind one long tree.

I advised them all to a light, and kept that tree before us for a breastwork to stand in a triangle or three fronts, enclosing our horses in the center.

We did so, and it was well we did, for never was a more furious charge than the creatures made upon us in this place.

They came on with a growling kind of noise and mounted the piece of timber, which, as I said, was our breastwork, as if they were only rushing upon their prey.

And this fury of theirs, it seems, was principally occasioned by their seeing our horses behind us.

I ordered our men to fire as before every other man, and they took their aim so sure that they killed several of the wolves at the first volley.

But there was a necessity to keep a continual firing, for they came on like devils, those behind pushing on those before.

When we had fired a second volley of our fuses, we thought they stopped a little, and I hoped they would have gone off.

But it was but a moment, for others came forward again.

So we fired two volleys of our pistols, and I believed in these four firings.

We had killed 17 or 18 of them, and lamed twice as many.

Yet they came on again.

I was loath to spend our shot too hastily, so I called my servant, not my man, Friday, for he was better employed, for with the greatest dexterity imaginable he had charged my fusey and his own while we were engaged.

But, as I said, I called my other man and giving him a horn of powder, I had him lay a train all along the piece of timber and let it be a large train.

He did so, and had but just time to get away when the wolves came up to it, and some got upon it, when I, snapping an uncharged pistol close to the powder, set it on fire.

Those that were upon the timber were scorched with it, and six or seven of them fell, or rather jumped in among us with the force and fried of the fire.

We dispatched these in an instant, and the rest were so frightened with the light which the night for it was now very near dark, made more terrible that they drew back a little upon which I ordered our last pistols to be fired off in one volley.

And after that we gave a shout.

Upon this the wolves turned tail and we sallied immediately upon near 20 lame ones that we found struggling on the ground and fell to cutting them with our swords which answered our expectation.

For the crying and howling they made was better understood by their fellows so that they all fled and left us.

We had first and last killed about three score of them and had it been daylight, we had killed many more.

The field of battle being thus cleared, we made forward again for we had still near a league to go.

We heard the ravenous creatures howl and yell in the woods as we went several times and sometimes we fancied we saw some of them but the snow dazzling our eyes, we were not certain.

In about an hour more, we came to the town where we were to lodge, which we found in a terrible fright and all in arms.

For it seems the night before the wolves and some bears had broken into the village and put them in such a terror that they were obliged to keep guard night and day, but especially in the night, to preserve their cattle and indeed their people.

The next morning our guide was so ill and his limbs swelled so much with the wrinkling of his two wounds that he could go no further.

So we were obliged to take a new guide here and go Toulouse where we found a warm climate a fruitful, pleasant country and no snow, no wolves, nor anything like them.

But when we told our story at Toulouse they told us it was nothing but what was ordinary in the great forest at the foot of the mountains especially when the snow lay on the ground.

But they inquired much what kind of guide we had got who would venture to bring us that way in such a severe season and told us it was surprising we were not all devoured.

And we told them how we placed ourselves in the horses in the middle.

They blamed us exceedingly and told us it was 50 to one.

But we had been all destroyed.

For it was the sight of the horses which made the wolves so furious seeing their prey, and that at other times they are really afraid of a gun.

But being excessively thirsty and raging on that account the eagerness to come at the horses had made them senseless of danger.

And that if we had not by the continual fire and at last by the stratagem of the train of powder mastered them.

It had been great ODS but that we had been torn to pieces whereas had we been content to have sat still on horseback and fired as horsemen, they would not have taken the horses.

So much for their own.

When men were on their backs as otherwise and withal.

They told us that at last, if we had stood altogether and left our horses, they would have been so eager to have devoured them that we might have come off safe, especially having our firearms in our hands, being so many a number.

For my part, I was never so sensible of danger in my life for seeing above 300 devils come roaring an open mouth to devour us, and having nothing to shelter us or retreat to, I gave myself over for lost.

And as it was, I believe I shall never care to cross those mountains again.

I think I would much rather go to a thousand leagues by sea, though I was sure to meet with a storm once a week.

I have nothing uncommon to take notice of in my passage through France, nothing but what other travelers have given an account of.

With much more advantage than I can, I traveled from Tulaus to Paris, and without any considerable stay, to Clyath, and landed safe at Dover, the 14 January, after having had a severe cold season to travel in.

I was now come to the center of my travels, and had in a little time all my new discovered estates safe about me.

The bills of exchange which I brought with me, having been currently paid.

My principal guide and privy counselor was my good ancient widow, who, in gratitude for the money I had sent her, thought no pains too much, nor care too great to employ for me, and I trusted her so entirely that I was perfectly easy as to the security of my effects.

And indeed I was very happy from the beginning and now to the end.

In the unspotted integrity of this good gentlewoman, and now having resolved to dispose of my plantation in the Brazils, I wrote to my old friend at Lisbon, who, having offered it to the two merchants, the survivors of my trustees, who lived in the Brazils.

They accepted the offer and remitted 33,000 pieces of eight to a correspondent of theirs at Lisbon to pay for it.

In return, I signed the instrument of sale in the form which they sent from Lisbon and sent it to my old man, who sent me the bills of exchange for 32 800 pieces of eight for the estate reserving.

The payment of 100 more years a year to him the old man during his life, and 50 morgers afterwards to his son for his life, which I had promised them and which the plantation was to make good as rent charge.

And thus I have given the first part of a life of fortune and adventure, a life of providence's, checker, work, and of a variety which the world will seldom be available to show.

The like of beginning foolishly, but closing much more happily than any part of it ever gave me, leave so much as to hope.

For anyone would think that in the state of complicated good fortune, I was past running any more hazards, and so indeed I had been, if other circumstances had concurred.

But I was inured to a wandering life, had no family, nor many relations, nor, however rich, had I contracted fresh acquaintance.

And though I had sold my estate in the Brazils, yet I could not keep that country out of my head and had a great mind to be upon the wing again.

Especially I could not resist the strong inclination I had to see my island and to know if the poor Spaniards were in being there.

My true friend, the widow, earnestly dissuaded me from it and so far prevailed with me for that almost seven years she prevented my running abroad, during which time I took my two nephews, the children of one of my brothers, into my care.

The eldest having something of his own, I bred up as a gentleman and gave him a settlement of some addition to his estate.

After my decease, the other I placed with the captain of a ship, and after five years finding him a sensible, bold, enterprising young fellow, I put him into a good ship and sent him to sea.

And this young fellow afterwards drew me in as old as I was, to further adventures myself.

In the meantime, I in part settled myself here.

For first of all, I married.

And that not either to my disadvantage or dissatisfaction.

And had three children, two sons and one daughter.

But my wife dying and my nephew coming home with good success from a voyage to Spain my inclination to go abroad.

And his opportunity prevailed and engaged me to go in his ship as a private trader to the East Indies.

This was in the year 1694.

In this voyage I visited my new colony on the island, saw my successors.

The Spaniards had the old story of their lives and of the villains I left there.

How at first they insulted the poor Spaniards, how they afterwards agreed, disagreed, united, separated, and how at last the Spaniards were obliged to use violence with them, how they were subjected to the Spaniards, how honestly the Spaniards used them, A history, if it were entered into as full of variety and wonderful accidents as my own part.

Particularly also as to their battles with the Caribbeans, who landed several times upon the island and as to the improvement they made upon the island itself and how five of them made an attempt upon the mainland and brought away eleven men and five women prisoners, by which, at my coming, I found about 20 young children on the island.

Here I stayed about 20 days left of them supplies of all necessary things, and particularly of arms, powder, shot, clothes, tools, and two workmen which I had brought from England.

With me a carpenter and a smith.

Besides this I shared the lands and the parts with them reserved to myself the property of the.

Whole, but gave them such parts respectively, as they agreed on, and having settled all things with them, and engaged them not to leave the place, I left them there.

From thence I touched at the Brazils, from whence I sent a bark, which I bought there with more people to the island and in it, besides other supplies, I sent seven women, being such as I found proper for service or for wives to such as would take them.

As to the Englishmen, I promised to send them some women from England with a good cargo of necessaries, if they would apply themselves to planting, which I afterwards could not perform.

The fellows proved very honest and diligent.

After they were mastered and had their properties set apart for them, I sent them also from the Brazil's, five cows, three of them being big with calf, some sheep and some hogs, which when I came again, were considerably increased.

But all these things with an account.

How 300 Caribbees came and invaded them and ruined their plantations.

And how they fought with that whole number twice and were at first defeated and one of them killed.

But at last a storm.

Destroying their enemies canoes, they famished or destroyed almost all the rest and renewed and recovered the possession of their plantation and still lived upon the island.

All these things were some very surprising incidents and some new adventures of my own for ten years more.

I shall give a further account in the second part of my story.

Thank you for joining Bite at a Time Books today while we read a.

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My name is Brie Carlisle.

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