The Eerie Adventures of the Lycanthrope Robinson Crusoe

by Peter Clines, Daniel Defoe, H. P. Lovecraft

  I showed myself a little concerned at this account, and inquired of Amaral how it came to pass the trustees should thus dispose of my effects when he knew I had made my will and had made him my universal heir. He told me that was true, but as there was no proof of my being dead, he could not act as executor. Besides, he was not willing to intermeddle with a thing so remote.

  "But," said the old man, "I have one piece of news to tell you, which perhaps may not be so acceptable to you as the rest. Believing you were lost, your partner and trustees did offer to account with me, in your name, for six or eight of the first years' profits, which I received. There being at that time great disbursements, it did not amount to near so much as afterwards it produced. However," said the old man, "I shall give you a true account of what I have received, and how I have disposed of it."

  The good man then began to explain his misfortunes, having lost his ship coming home to Lisbon about eleven years after my leaving the place. He had been obliged to make use of my money to recover his losses and buy him a share in a new ship. "However, my old friend," said he, "you shall not want a supply in your necessity. As soon as my son returns, you shall be fully satisfied." Upon this, he pulled out an old pouch, and gave me one hundred and sixty Portugal moidores in gold and giving the writings of his title to the ship, which his son was gone to

  the Brasils in, of which he was a quarter-part owner, and his son another, he put them both into my hands for security of the rest.

  I was too much moved with the honesty and kindness of the poor man to be able to bear this. Remembering what he had done for me, how he had taken me up at sea, and how generously he had used me on all occasions, and how sincere a friend he was now to me, I could hardly refrain weeping at what he had said to me. I asked him if his circumstances admitted him to spare so much money at that time, and if it would not straiten him?

  "I could not say," he told me. "However, it is your money, and you might want it more than I."

  "And your son? Shall he not be displeased to find his ship sold from beneath his heels?"

  At which Amaral became most reflective, and confided in me that his son did have a great hatred of me already, which surprised me to no end, for I had never met the youth. "Fear often turns to hate over time," he told me, "and Zachary had much call to fear you as a child, as he often told me."

  Still was I confused, and now worried Amaral had mistook me for some other acquaintance, and then he told me that before taking the Christian name of Zachary, after Zachariah, his adopted son had been called Xury, the boy he had bought from me and whom he had come to love as much as any father loves their son. As Xury had learnt more and better English, he had told his father of the almustazeb, and of the awful things he saw on our voyage along the coast of Africk, and sometimes the boy would wake screaming and in tears with fright.

  This shamed me, for I had not given much thought to Xury over the years, tho' without him I would still be a prisoner of Sallee, or dead, and I had no words to express my sadness that he had been haunted by the beast for so many years.

  At this, tho', my man Friday stepped forward, for he had been there at my side all along, and spoke sharply to my defense. "Master is good man," said he. "The best mans. The beast keep him alive on island and protect him and save many lifes." Even cloathed now in the good fashions of Europe, Friday was most intimidating, and still wore his great wooden sword.

  His loud words did start Amaral for a moment, but the old captain shook them off and assured us he did not seek to lay blame or to expose secrets. He was a happy man who loved his son, and wish'd only to repay an old friend for bringing them together. While he knew of my hidden nature, he could not see evil in that which had brought a son to him, nor could he find any but love in his heart for me because of it.

  Every thing the good man said was full of affection, and I could hardly refrain from tears while he spoke. I took one hundred of the moidores and return'd him the rest, and told him if ever I had possession of the plantation, I would return the other to him also. As to the bill of sale of his part in his son's ship, I would not take it by any means. If I wanted the money, I found he was honest enough to pay me. If I came to receive what he gave me reason to expect, I would never have a penny more from him. I also swore to write a letter to his son Zachary, who had been Xury, and beg the grown man's forgiveness for the fears of his childhood.

  When this was pass'd, Amaral asked me if he should put me into a method to make my claim to my plantation? I told him I thought to go over to it myself. He said I might do so if I pleased. If I did not, there were ways enough to secure my right and to appropriate the profits to my use. As there were ships in the river of Lisbon just ready to go away to Brasil, he made me enter my name in a public register, with his affidavit affirming upon oath that I was alive, and I was the same person who took up the land for the planting of said plantation at first.

  Never was any thing more honourable than the proceedings upon this procuration. In less than seven months I received a large packet from the survivors of my trustees, in which were the following particular letters and papers enclosed.

  First, There was the account-current of the produce of my farm or plantation, from the year when their fathers had balanced with Captain Amaral, being for six years. The balance appeared to be 1,174 moidores in my favour.

  Secondly, There was the account of four years more before the government claimed the administration, as being the effects of a person not to be found, which they called civil death. The balance of this amounted to 19,446 crusadoes, being about 3,241 moidores.

  Thirdly, There was the prior of Augustine's account, who had received the profits for above fourteen years. Not being able to account for what was disposed of by the hospital, declared he had 872 moidores not distributed, which he acknowledged to my account.

  There was a letter of my partner's, congratulating me upon my being alive, giving me an account how the estate was improved, and inviting me very passionately to come over and take possession of my own. It concluded with a hearty tender of his friendship and that of his family. Also he sent me, as a present, seven fine leopards' skins, five chests of sweetmeats, and a hundred pieces of gold uncoin'd, not quite so large as moidores. By the same fleet, my two merchant-trustees shipped me 1,200 chests of sugar, 800 rolls of tobacco, and the rest of the whole account in gold.

  I was now master, all on a sudden, of above five thousand pounds sterling in money, and had an estate, as I might well call it, in the Brasils, of above a thousand pounds a year, as sure as an estate of lands in England. In a word, I was in a condition which I scarce knew how to understand, or how to compose myself for the enjoyment of it.

  The first thing I did was to recompense my original benefactor, my good old Captain Amaral, who had been first charitable to me in my distress, kind to me in my beginning, and honest to me at the end. It now lay on me to reward him, which I would do a hundredfold. I first return'd to him the hundred moidores I had received of him. Then I sent for a notary and caused a procuration to be drawn, empowering him to be my receiver of the annual profits of my plantation, and appointing my partner to account with him, with a clause in the end, being a grant of 100 moidores a year to him during his life and 50 moidores a year to his son, Zachary, for his life. Thus I requited my old man and my former savior.

  I was now to consider which way to steer my course next, and what to do with the estate Providence had thus put into my hands. Indeed, I had more care upon my head now than I had in my silent state of life in the island, where I wanted nothing but what I had, and had nothing but what I wanted. I had now a great charge upon me, and my business was how to secure it. I had never a cave now to hide my money in, or a place where it might lie without lock or key, till it grew mouldy and tarnish'd before any body would meddle with it. On the contrary, I knew not where to put it, or whom to trust with it. My old patron, Captain Amaral, indeed, was honest, and was the only refuge I had.

  I had once a mind to ha
ve gone to the Brasils, and have settled myself there, for I was, as it were, naturalized to the place. But now I could not tell how to think of going thither till I had settled my affairs, and left my effects in some safe hands behind me. It was some months, however, before I resolv’d upon this. I resolv’d, at last, to go to England with it, where, if I arrived, I concluded I should make some acquaintance, or find some relations that would be faithful to me. Accordingly, I prepared to go to England with all my wealth.

  My travels, loup garou,

  my awful damnation

  Having settled my affairs, sold my cargo, and turned all my effects into good bills of exchange, my next difficulty was which way to go to England. I had been accustomed enough to the sea, and yet I had a strange aversion to go to England by sea at that time. It was an aversion the beast shared with me, as it had oft been disturbed by the dark church, and even Friday seemed put out by the idea. He and I spoke of this, and agreed that while some things were very strong on the island, it did not mean they could not be strong in other places and at other times.

  Captain Amaral pressed me not to go by sea if I were so averse, but either to go by land and cross over the Bay of Biscay to Rochelle, from whence it was but an easy and safe journey by land to Paris, and so to Calais and Dover. Or to go up to Madrid, and so all the way by land through France. In a word, I was so prepossessed against my going by sea at all, except from Calais to Dover, I resolv’d to travel all the way by land. As I was not in haste and did not value the charge, it was by much the pleasanter way. To make it more so, my old captain brought an English gentleman, the son of a merchant in Lisbon, who was willing to travel with me. We picked up two more English merchants also, and two young Portuguese gentlemen, the last going to Paris only. In all there were six of us, and five servants. The two merchants and the two Portuguese contented themselves with one servant between two, to save the charge. As for me, I got an English sailor to travel with me as a servant beside my man Friday, who was too much a stranger to be capable of supplying the place of a servant on the road, and was very oft looked at as a sport for his dusky appearance.

  In this manner I set out from Lisbon. Our company being very well mounted and armed, we made a little troop, whereof they did me the honour to call me captain, as well because I was the oldest man as because I had two servants, and, indeed, was the original of the whole journey.

  As I have troubled you with none of my sea journals, so I shall trouble you now with none of my land journal. But some grim and horrible adventures happened to us in this journey I must not omit.

  When we came to Madrid, we being all of us strangers to Spain, were willing to stay some time. Alas, the moon was due at the end of the month, and already my loyal Friday attracted much unwanted attention. Rather than risk my taking on the mantle of the beast within a city of the Inquisition, we set out from Madrid about the middle of October. When we came to the edge of Navarre, we were alarm'd with an account that so much snow was fallen on the French side of the mountains several travelers were obliged to come back to Pampeluna after having attempted, at an extreme hazard, to pass on.

  When we came to Pampeluna itself we found it so indeed. To me, that had been always used to a hot climate, and to countries where I could scarce bear any cloathes on, the cold was insufferable. Nor, indeed, was it more painful than surprising, to come but ten days before out of Old Castile and to feel a wind so cold as to be intolerable.

  Poor Friday was frightened when he saw the mountains all cover'd with snow and felt cold weather, which he had never seen or felt before in his life. That he could be brave in so many things, yet scared at the sight of snow, I found very amusing, and eventually he did laugh with me, tho' I could tell the cold did have a severe affect on one of his nature.

  To mend the matter, when we came to Pampeluna, it continued snowing with so much violence the people said winter was come before its time. The roads which were difficult before were now quite impassable. In a word, the snow lay in some places too thick for us to travel, and being not hard frozen, as is the case in the northern countries, there was no going without being in danger of being buried alive every step.

  We stayed no less than twenty days at Pampeluna. Much to his displeasure, Friday spent the three nights of the moon within a barn with only a small fire to warm his cold limbs. These same nights I spent myself bound to the beams of the barn, for I had shewn my man the tricks of silver coins and knots my father had long ago taught me. Most pleased were we both when these nights ended and we could rejoin to the inn, altho' it was clear the beast found such weather to its liking.

  When seeing the winter coming on, and no likelihood of its being better, I proposed our little company should all go away to Fontarabia and there take shipping for Bourdeaux, which was a little voyage.

  But while I was considering this, there came in four French gentlemen, who having been stopped on the French side of the passes, had found out a guide who had brought them over the mountains by such ways they were not much incommoded with the snow. Where they met with snow in any quantity, they said it was frozen hard enough to bear them and their horses.

  We sent for this guide, a man named Etienne, who told us he would undertake to carry us the same way with no hazard from the snow, provided we were armed sufficiently to protect ourselves from wild beasts.

  "For," he said, "upon these great snows it is frequent for some wolves to show themselves at the foot of the mountains, being made ravenous for want of food." We told him we were well enough prepared for such creatures as they were. One of the young Portuguese gentlemen, by name of Dacosta, then ask'd if our guide would ensure us from a kind of two-legged wolves which he had been told we were in most danger from on the French side of the mountains by Languedoc, and at which I saw Friday narrow his eyes in concern. My man's hand wrapt on the hilt of his wooden sword, yet I assur'd him with a glance and a shake of my head that this was meer folklore and no threat to us.

  Etienne satisfy'd us there was no danger of that kind in the way we were to go. So we agreed to follow him, as did also twelve other gentlemen, with their servants.

  Accordingly, we set out from Pampeluna, with our guide, on the 15th of November. I was surprised, when, instead of going forward, he came back with us on the same road we came from Madrid, about twenty miles. When having passed two rivers and come into the plain country, we found ourselves in a warm climate again where the country was pleasant and no snow to be seen. Turning to his left, Etienne approached the mountains another way. Tho’ it is true the hills and precipices looked dreadful, yet he made so many tours, such meanders, and led us by such winding ways, we past the height of the mountains without being much encumber'd with the snow. All on a sudden, he show'd us the pleasant fruitful provinces of Languedoc and Gascony, all green and flourishing, tho’, indeed, at a great distance, and we had some rough way to pass still.

  We were a little uneasy, however, when we found it snowed one whole day and a night so fast we could not travel. Etienne bid us be easy. We should soon be past it all. We found, indeed, we began to descend every day and to come more north than before.

  It was about two hours before night when, Etienne being something before us and not just in sight, out rush'd three wolves of a hollow way adjoining to a thick wood. Two of the wolves made at the guide, and had he been far before us he would have been devoured before we could have helped him. One of them fastened upon his horse and the other attacked the man with such violence that he had not time to draw his pistol, but hallooed and cried out to us. My man Friday being next me, I bade him ride up and see what was the matter. As soon as Friday came in sight of the man, he hallooed out as loud as the other, "O master! O master!" but, like a bold fellow, rode up to the poor man.

  It was happy for Etienne it was my man Friday, for he having been used to the beast after so many years had no fear upon him, but went close up to him and with his pistol shot the wolf that attacked Etienne in the head. Any other of us would have fired at
a distance, and perhaps either missed the wolf or endangered shooting the man.

  But it was enough to have terrify'd a bolder man than I. Indeed, it alarmed all our company, when, with the noise of Friday's pistol, we heard on both sides the most dismal howling of wolves. The noise, redoubled by the echo of the mountains, appeared to us as if there had been a prodigious number of them. However, as Friday had kill’d this wolf, the other that had fastened upon the horse left him and fled without doing the horse any damage, having fastened upon his head where the bosses of the bridle had stuck in his teeth. But Etienne was most hurt, for the raging creature had bit him twice, once in the arm, and the other time a little above his knee. Tho’ he had made some defence, he was just as it were tumbling down by the disorder of his horse, when Friday came up and shot the wolf.

  At the noise of Friday's pistol we all mended our pace and rode up as fast as the way would give us leave to see what was the matter. As soon as we came clear of the trees, which blinded us before, we saw what had been the case, and how Friday had disengaged poor Etienne, tho’ we did not presently discern what kind of creature it was he had kill'd.

  Friday had delivered our guide, and when we came up to him he was helping him off from his horse, for Etienne was both hurt and frighten'd.

  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 Africk, I never heard any thing that fill’d me with such strange vigour.