Chapter 6.
The Chance to Escape Finally, one day, my master took me and another slave Ishmael fishing with him.
The weather quickly turned against us, and we were soon caught in a great fog.
By the time we could see clearly, Ishmael and I had rowed out to sea instead of back home.
After some hard work, we rowed safely back to shore.
Two things happened next to get me thinking about how I could escape.
First, my master had a carpenter fix up the fishing boat.
Now it was better prepared for a longer voyage.
The new boat is sturdy.
I could use it to travel away from Salih if given the chance, I thought.
What luck that our misadventure scared my master.
Later that week, my master planned a fun evening on the boat for some friends.
This was the second thing that happened to help along my escape.
He ordered me to stock up with loads of supplies.
I also had to shine the boat until it sparkled and decorate it for the party.
The next day, just ten minutes before we were supposed to leave, the master came stomping up to the boat.
He was angry.
It seemed his friends no longer wanted to spend the day at sea.
He ordered me to take Ishmael and Zuri, another slave, fishing.
Even if they weren't going to sea, he still wanted his friends to have fresh fish for the special dinner.
This is my job.
I thought excitedly, I can escape.
But how?
I convinced Ishmael that we shouldn't eat the master's food, so he stocked the boat up with even more provisions.
While he was off packing us a picnic of sorts, I grabbed some other things we would need.
Candles, a saw, a hammer, some twine, and a hatchet.
Next, I tricked Zuri into finding us some gunpowder.
I told him we could kill some wild birds for our own supper.
He smiled at me and said, Yes, that's a really good idea.
A few minutes later, we were prepared.
The three of us sailed off into the harbor.
We rowed out a ways and then dropped our sails to fish.
That day, the wind blew in from the north-northeast.
I wished for a wind from the south with it.
I could have sailed to Spain, but I didn't despair.
Any wind would carry me up and away from my prison on this earth.
I was happy just thinking about escaping to freedom.
It was now or never.
Ishmael, I said, the water has gone cold here.
I'm not catching anything.
Let's sail out a bit farther.
He nodded and raised the sails.
We drove another league out to sea.
Just before he was going to drop the anchor, I came up behind him and tossed him overboard.
Ishmael screamed and yelled.
Let me back on board.
What are you doing, Robinson?
You're going to get yourself killed.
I called back.
You're a great swimmer.
Head back to shore, Ishmael.
I'm escaping.
There is no way for you to stop me.
He shook his head, accepted his fate, and started to swim.
Zuri stood on deck, shivering.
He was afraid I would throw him overboard, too.
Zuri, you must swear to help me, or else you're following Ishmael into the sea.
Zuri couldn't swim that well, so he quickly agreed to my terms.
For the next few hours, I sailed toward the Strait of Debalter.
Ishmael would have to tell our master which direction we had taken, so I wanted him to think I was headed for the Spanish coast.
As soon as dusk fell, I turned the boat around.
The new course was due south.
It was scary and unknown territory, but it was better than being caught.
I never wanted to be a slave again.
