Robert Gray wanted to be a Robinson Crusoe, and he actually went so far
as to form a plan by which he could live on an island, sleep in a cave,
and have no companions but a dog and an old cat.
Of course he did not tell any body about this famous plan, for fear
his friends might find it out, and prevent him from becoming a Crusoe.
But he went to work, and got every thing ready as fast as he could. He
was a smart boy, as I have said before, and his plan was very well laid
for a child.
He meant to be Robinson Crusoe, Jr., but he was not quite willing to go
upon the island without any tools to work with, or any thing to eat,
after he arrived. I think, if he could, he would have made sure of most
of the comforts of life.
Mr. Gray’s shop was only a short distance from the river. The little
brook in which Robert placed his water-wheel, widened into a pretty
large stream near the shop. Here Mr. Crusoe, Jr., intended to build a
raft, which should bear him to the lonely island.
Near the middle of the great pond, which my young friends will find
described in The Young Voyagers, there was a small island, which Robert
had chosen for his future home, and where he was to be “monarch of all
he surveyed.”
After Frank Lee’s unfortunate cruise down the river, Robert had some
doubts about being able to reach the island. But these did not prevent
him from trying to carry out his plan. He might, perhaps, get wrecked,
as Joe Birch had been; but if he did, it would be so much the more like
Robinson Crusoe,--only a rock, with the water knee deep upon it, was
not a very good place to be “monarch of all he surveyed.”
Robert’s father and mother had gone to visit his uncle in the State of
New York, and were to be absent two weeks. This seemed like a good time
for his great enterprise, as his oldest sister was the only person at
home besides himself, and she was too busy to watch him very closely.
He worked away on his raft for two days before he finished it, for he
did not mean to go to sea, as he called it to himself, in such a shabby
craft as that in which Joe had been wrecked. He had tools from the
shop, a hammer, and plenty of nails, and he made the raft very strong
and safe.
It was raised above the water, so that the top was dry when he stood
upon it; and to make it more secure, he put a little fence all round
it, to prevent him from slipping off if the craft should strike upon a
rock.
Then he made two oars with which he could move and steer the raft. He
also nailed a box upon the platform, upon which he could sit. When this
queer ark was done, he pushed it out into the stream, and made a trial
trip as far as the river, and rowed it back to the place from which he
started.
From the barn he took two horse-blankets, for his bed on the island,
and placed them on the raft. He got a tin cup and a kettle from the
house, as well as several other things which he thought he might need.
A small hatchet and some nails from the shop completed his outfit. All
these articles were secured on the raft, just before dark, and the next
morning he intended to start for the island.
Robert was so tired after the hard work he had done upon the raft,
that he slept like a rock all night, and did not wake up till his
sister called him to breakfast. He had intended to start very early in
the morning, but this part of his plan had failed.
After breakfast, he took twenty cents which he had saved towards buying
a book called The Swiss Family Robinson, which Frank Lee told him was
something like Robinson Crusoe, and went to the grocery store to buy
some provisions.
He bought a sheet of gingerbread, some crackers, and a piece of cheese,
and ran across the fields with them to the brook. He was very careful
to keep away from the house, so that his sister should not see him.
Having placed these things in the box on the raft, so that they would
be safe, he went back to the house once more.
“Puss, puss, puss,” said he; and presently the old black cat came
purring and mewing up to him, and rubbing her head against his legs.
Poor pussy had not the least idea that she was destined to be the
companion of a Robinson Crusoe; so she let him take her up in his arms.
If she had only known what a scrape she was about to get into, I am
sure she would not have let Mr. Crusoe, Jr., put one of his fingers
upon her.
“Trip, Trip, Trip,--come here, Trip,” said he to the spaniel dog that
was sleeping on the door mat.
Trip had no more idea than pussy of the famous plan in which he was to
play a part; so he waked up and followed his young master. I don’t
believe Trip had any taste for Crusoe life; and he would have liked to
know where his beef and bones were to come from, for he was not very
fond of gingerbread and crackers.
If pussy didn’t “smell a rat” when they reached the raft, it was
because there was no rat for her to smell; but she showed a very proper
spirit, and, by her scratching and snarling, showed that she did not
like the idea of sailing down the river on a raft.
Robert did not heed her objections; and what do you think he did
with poor pussy? Why, he put her in the box with the crackers and
gingerbread and cheese! Trip, having a decided taste for the water, did
not object to going upon the raft. Yet, judging from the way he looked
up into his master’s face, he wondered what was “in the wind,” and what
big thing was going to be done.
“Now, Trip, we are all ready for a start,” said Robert, as he stepped
upon the raft. “You needn’t scratch and cry so, pussy. Nobody is going
to hurt you.”
Trip looked up in his face and wagged his tail, and pussy scratched
and howled, and refused to be comforted. But Trip had the advantage
of pussy very much in one respect, for, when he became sick of the
adventure, he could jump into the water and swim ashore.
Robert, however, gave little thought or heed at this moment to the
wishes or comfort of his two companions, for his mind was wholly taken
up with the preparations for the grand departure.
All was now ready; Robert pushed off the raft, and it floated slowly
down the stream.
[Illustration]
[Illustration: The Water-Wheel.]