about eleven o'clock
But I had not done with the monster ; for the caravan being to rest three nights in the town , I told the Scots merchant what I had seen , and that I was resolved to take four or five men well armed with me , in order to destroy the idol , and show the people how little reason they had to trust in a god who could not save himself . At first he laughed at me , representing the danger of it , and when it was destroyed , what time had we to preach to them better things , whole zeal and ignorance was in the highest degree , and both unparalleled ? that if I should be taken by them , I should be served as a poor ruffian , who contemned their worship ; that is , to be stripped naked , and tied to the top of the idol , there shot at with arrows till my body was fall of them , and then burnt as a sacrifice to the monster ; _ but Sir _ , said he , _ since your zeal carries you so far , rather than you should be alone I will accompany you , and bring a stout fellow equal to yourself , if you will , to assist you in this design : _ and accordingly he brought one Captain Richardson , who , hearing the story , readily consented ; but my partner declined it , being altogether out of his way : and so we three , and my servant , resolved to execute this exploit about midnight ; but upon second thoughts we deferred it to the next night , by reason that the caravan being to go from hence the next morning , we should be out of the governor 's power . The better to effectuate my design , I procured a Tartar 's sheep-skin robe , a bonnet , with bow and arrows , and every one of us got the like habits , the first night we spent in mixing combustible matter with aqua vitae , gunpowder , & c. having a good quantity of tar in a little pot : next night we came up to the idol about eleven o'clock , the moon being up . We found none guarding it ; but we perceived a light in the house , where we had seen the priests before . One of our men was for firing the hut , another for killing the people , and a third for making them prisoners , while the idol was destroyed . We agreed to the latter ; so knocking at the door , we seized the first that opened it , and stopping his mouth and tying his feet , we left him .