"Children's Books - Defoe, Daniel - Robinson Crusoe" - читать интересную книгу автора (Children's Books)

ran along the shore by me a good way. I observed they had no weapons
in their hands, except one, who had a long slender stick, which Xury
said was a lance, and that they would throw them a great way with good
aim. So I kept a distance, but talked with them by signs as well as
I could, and particularly made signs for something to eat; they
beckoned to me to stop my boat, and that they would fetch me some
meat. Upon this I lowered the top of my sail, and lay by, and two of
them ran up into the country, and in less than half an hour came back,
and brought with them two pieces of dried flesh and some corn, such as
is the produce of their country; but we neither knew what the one or
the other was. However, we were willing to accept it, but how to
come at it was our next dispute, for I was not for venturing on
shore to them, and they were as much afraid to us; but they took a
safe way for us all, for they brought it to the shore and laid it
down, and went and stood a great way off till we fetched it on
board, and then came close to us again.
We made signs of thanks to them, for we had nothing to make them
amends. But an opportunity offered that very instant to oblige them
wonderfully; for while we were lying by the shore came two mighty
creatures, one pursuing the other (as we took it) with great fury from
the mountains towards the sea; whether it was the male pursuing the
female, or whether they were in sport or in rage, we could not tell,
any more than we could tell whether it was usual or strange, but I
believe it was the latter; because in the first place, those
ravenous creatures seldom appear but in the night; and in the second
place, we found the people terribly frightened, especially the
women. The man that had the lance or dart did not fly from them, but
the rest did; however, as the two creatures ran directly into the
water, they did not seem to offer to fall upon any of the negroes, but
plunged themselves into the sea, and swam about, as if they had come
for their diversion. At last, one of them began to come nearer our
boat than at first I expected; but I lay ready for him, for I had
loaded my gun with all possible expedition, and bade Xury load both
the others. As soon as he came fairly within my reach, I fired, and
shot him directly into the head; immediately he sunk down into the
water, but rose instantly, and plunged up and down, as if he was
struggling for life, and so indeed he was. He immediately made to
the shore; but between the wound, which was his mortal hurt, and the
strangling of the water, he died just before he reached the shore.
It is impossible to express the astonishment of these poor
creatures, at the noise and the fire of my gun; some of them were even
ready to die for fear, and fell down as dead with the very terror. But
when they saw the creature dead, and sunk in the water, and that I
made signs to them to come to the shore, they took heart and came to
the shore, and began to search for the creature. I found him by his
blood staining the water: and by the help of a rope, which I slung
round him, and gave the negroes to haul, they dragged him on the
shore, and found that it was a most curious leopard, spotted, and fine
to an admirable degree; and the negroes held up their hands with
admiration, to think what it was I had killed him with.