him, that he saw. He, however, was careful and watchful. He walked along
near the shore to a point where some rocks showed above the surface. As
he looked ahead he saw the single eye of a giant cuttle-fish glaring at
him from among the rocks. It was thrusting out its long arms towards
him. He drew back quickly, but as he did so he was terrified to hear the
snap of some huge creature's jaws near him. A great shark had seen him
and had thrown himself on his back to seize him in his rows of sharp
teeth, but was prevented reaching him by the shallowness of the water.
Robinson was too much terrified to continue longer his attempt at
fishing. He went back to his cave with only a few small ones, not worth
the trouble of dressing for his dinner.
The next day undismayed he tried again. He succeeded in drawing in some
very beautiful large fish. Their sides shone as burnished gold and
silver. "Now," he thought, "I will have a feast." He carried them home,
carefully cleaned and dressed them, seasoned them with his salt, and
broiled them over his fire. Imagine his disappointment when they proved
unfit to eat. Their flesh was coarse and tough and ill-tasting. He saw
that the catching of fish for his table was a more difficult thing than
he thought it. He must not only catch fish, but catch ones that could be
eaten. He could only tell the good from the bad by trying them.
He was more fortunate in his next venture. He was going along the shore
at the mouth of the creek which ran near his cave when he noticed a
group of fishes, dark bluish above with silvery sides. The largest of
them were about two feet long. They were feeding on the bottom in the
brackish water at the mouth of the creek, which at its mouth opened out
into quite a little bay or inlet. They would take up a mouthful of earth
from the bottom and let it wash through their mouths, keeping all the
bits of food that happened to be in it. When one fish got a good place
to feed the others swam around it and tried to get some of the food.
Robinson watched his chance and slipped his net under a group, while
each one was busy trying to get the best mouthful of mud. He drew up
three quite large fish, but just as he was about to lift them from the
water, one of the cords which bound the net to the poles broke and he
saw his catch fall back into the creek and dart away in the deepest
water. But Robinson was not to be discouraged. He soon mended his net
and at last was successful. In a short time he drew out another catch of
two fish.
These proved excellent food and were so abundant as to furnish Robinson
with all the fish he wanted as long as he stayed on the island.
XXXIII
ROBINSON BUILDS A BOAT
Robinson had wished for a boat many times. He wished to explore the
shore of his island. He wanted to go clear around it so that he might
see it on every side. But he knew the work of making a boat would be
great, if not wholly impossible.
The shaping of boards to build a boat with his rude tools was not to be
thought of. He knew how the Indians made boats out of bark of trees. But
he saw that for his purpose so light a boat would not do. He finally
remembered a second Indian way of making a boat by hollowing out a large
log. The forest was full of the boles of trees that had been blown down.
But they were far away from the shore. At first he did not think of this
very much. He had overcome so many difficulties that he thought, "Never
mind, I will get my boat to water, no matter where I make it, in some
way." So he selected a tree trunk some distance from the bank of the
little creek near his cave and began work.
He had first to burn out his log the proper length and hack it into boat
shape with his stone tools. This was very slow and tedious work. He had
to handle the fire with great care for there was always the danger of
spoiling the shape of the slowly forming boat. Both ends must be
sharpened, but one more than the other to form the prow or forward going
end. After he had shaped his boat, he began hollowing it out. This he
did also by burning for the most part. He used the branches of pitch
bearing trees for this purpose. But it was so slow. He worked at his
boat all the time he could spare from his regular duties in attending to
his goats, his garden and his cave. He was always making his cave
larger. Every time he made a piece of furniture or stored away grain he
must make more room in his cave by digging away the earth and carrying
it out. He had made a large strong wicker basket for this purpose.
He had had a vague idea that when he got his boat done he would dig a
trench back from the bank of the creek and thus float his boat. But he
had not thought it out clearly. "Or anyway," he thought, "I can in some
way manage to roll it to the water." He must now actually plan to put
some of these ideas into effect. He first went over the ground and found
that to dig a trench from the water to the boat, so that the water would
come to the boat, he would have to dig it twenty feet deep. "I can never
do this," he said, "with my poor tools."
He next tried his rolling plan. But he had been so anxious to have a
large boat that he had overlooked everything else. Try as hard as he
might he could not stir his boat from the spot. After many trials with
the longest levers he could handle, the boat still stuck fast. It would
not budge an inch. He at last gave it up. "It will lie here," he
thought, "to remind me how foolish it is to attempt to do anything
without first having thought it out carefully."
There was nothing to do but to choose another tree trunk. This time he
selected a much smaller one, and one that lay at the top of the little
slope or incline from the bank of the creek. After another weary six
months of work he had his second boat ready for launching. With a good
stout lever he gave it a start, when it rolled quickly down into the
water. Robinson again wept for joy. Of all his projects this had cost
him the most work and pains and at last to see his plans successful
filled him with delight.
The next problem was how to make it go. He had no certain knowledge how
far it was around the island, but he knew it was farther than he wanted
to row or paddle his boat. Yet he knew from the way the wind blew that
he could not always depend upon a sail to help him. He must become
skillful in paddling his boat. A sail too would be very helpful at
times. He imagined how pleasant it would be sitting in the boat sailing
along with a gentle wind. "When the wind is favorable," he thought, "I
will only have to steer with my paddle."
So he set about weaving a sail of his sisal fibre. To do this he had to
make a much larger loom than he had yet used. His sail must be at least
four feet square. He was now so skilled in weaving that this was soon
finished. He then made plenty of string, cord, and rope, put in a mast
and was ready to sail. But he did not venture far away until he had
spent weeks and weeks in learning to steer, sail, and paddle his boat.
XXXIV
ROBINSON AS A SAILOR
Ever since Robinson had finished his boat he had been eager to make a
tour of his island. He had indeed made a journey by land. But the deep
forests and tangled vines made it very difficult to travel. His journeys
had shown him but a small part of the land. He wished to know all about
the land of which he, so far as he knew, was the sole master.
His first care was to fit up his boat with provisions. He made some
large baskets in which to carry food and a large covered jar for water.
These he stored in the bow and the stern of his boat. He fastened his
parasol on the stern for a shelter from the sun. He baked up a quantity
of cakes or loaves of bread and packed them in his baskets. He had woven
these so carefully that they would almost hold water.
At last all was ready. It was on the sixth day of November in the sixth
year of his life on the island that Robinson hoisted his sail and set
out upon this voyage of discovery. He had waited until the wind was
gentle and blowing as far easterly as it does at that place. He scudded
along bravely, running with the land toward the East and North. All went
well until he came to a low reef or ledge of rocks running far out to
sea in a north-easterly direction.
[Illustration]
When Robinson observed this he went on shore and climbed to a high point
to see if it was safe to venture. He was afraid of hidden currents, or
streams of water. These might carry him away from the shore and prevent
him from getting around the point.
He did indeed observe that there was a current running out to sea past
the ledge, but he thought he could by careful paddling keep his boat
from striking the rock. If he could once get beyond the ledge, the wind
would help him double or get around the point. Indeed the danger was
that the wind would blow him on to the rocks.
He waited for two days for a gentle wind. At last without sail he pushed
his boat into the current and was born swiftly seaward. He found the
current much stronger than he thought it would be. It rushed his frail
boat on past the point of the rocks and out into the sea. Try as best he
might he could not change its course. He was steadily going out to sea.
He gave himself up for lost. He reproached himself for being so rash and
foolhardy as to trust his fortunes in so frail a craft. How dear at this
time seemed the island to him! The wind which he had depended on to help
him at this point had died down so that it was at the mercy of the
current. He kept urging his boat to the westward as much as possible,
with all his strength, hoping that a breeze would finally spring up.
He struggled on bravely until about noon. He had been carried out a
great distance into the sea, but not so far as to lose sight of the
land. All at once he felt the breeze freshening up. It caught his sail
and soon his boat was cutting across the current. He did not have to go
far before he was free from it and making headway for the island, which
he reached about four o'clock in the afternoon.
He found himself on the northern shore of the island, but before long
the shore ran away to the southward again. He ran briskly along the west
side until he found a little bay or cove. He determined to enter this,
draw up his boat on shore and make his way back home across the island
on foot. He was almost exhausted with his great labor and was worn out
with anxiety.
In the centre of the arms of the cove he found a little creek entering
the sea. He paddled into this and found a good place to hide his boat.
As soon as Robinson was again on land he fell on his knees and with
tears in his eyes thanked God for his deliverance. The island which had
seemed to him a prison now seemed the fairest and dearest place in the
world.
Having made his boat safe he started back toward his shelter. But he was
too tired to go far. He soon came to a little grove of trees beneath
which he laid himself down and soon was fast asleep.
You can imagine with what surprise Robinson was awakened out of his
sleep by a voice calling his name. "Robinson, Robinson Crusoe," it said,
"poor Robinson Crusoe! Where are you Robinson, where have you been?"
[Illustration]
He was so fast asleep that he did not at first rouse up entirely and
thought he was dreaming. But the voice kept calling, "Robinson,
Robinson, poor Robinson Crusoe!" He was greatly frightened and started
up. But no sooner were his eyes opened than he saw his parrot sitting on
a branch of a tree. He knew at once the source of the voice.
Polly had missed her master and was also exploring the island. It was a
pleasant surprise. She immediately flew to him and lit on his shoulder.
She showed in many ways how glad she was to see him and kept saying,
"Poor Robinson, poor Robinson Crusoe!"
Robinson remained here over night and the next morning made his way back
to the shelter. Up to this time Robinson had never seen any dangerous
animals on the island. He had grown used to life there and went about
without fear of animals. But as he was returning across a little
opening, he saw a clump of palms in the centre of the opening, swaying
about. He did not at first see what caused this, but soon there was
thrust out the head of a great serpent. Its jaws were open and its eyes
were fixed on a poor terrified little rabbit. The rabbit seemed rooted
to the spot. It could not stir a muscle and was soon caught in the folds
of the great snake.
This sight made Robinson greatly afraid. He wanted to rush to the rescue
of the rabbit, but what could he do against such a foe? He resolved in
the future to keep a more careful watch and always to sleep in his
bower.
Robinson had enough of exploring for some time. He was contented to
remain at home. He made many things he needed. He had saved all the
skins of the goats he had killed for meat and all that had died from any
cause. These he made into rugs for his bed. He kept at his loom too, for
he was anxious to weave enough of his coarse cloth to make him a suit of
clothes. He learned how to braid mats and rugs out of his fibre, and
finally replaced his awkward hat and parasol with others braided very
skillfully from the long grasses that grew so abundantly in the marshy
places.
Another thing that Robinson was now able to make or weave out of his
fibre was a hammock. He had slept all this time on a bed made of poles
laid lengthwise and thickly covered with the skins of goats and rabbits.
Now he could have a comfortable place to sleep. He did not stop until he
had made two. One was for the bower and the other was for use
out-of-doors. When his work was done in the evening or in the heat of
the midday he would lie in it at full length under the shade of the
trees.
XXXV
A DISCOVERY
Robinson could not forget his boat. It seemed a companion. "It may be
the means of my escape from this place," he thought. He took frequent
journeys across the island to where his little boat lay in the cove. He
would start out in the morning and walk over to the west side of the
island, take his boat and have a pleasant little sail. He always
returned home before dark, for to tell the truth, Robinson was a coward.
He was as timid as a hare. He was afraid of everything and spent many
nights without sleep because of fear.
It was while on one of his visits to his boat that Robinson made a
discovery that changed his whole life. It happened one day, about noon,
when he was going toward his boat that he, with great surprise, saw the
print of a man's naked foot on the shore in the sand. He stood like one
rooted to the ground. He could not move, so great was his surprise and
fear. He listened, looked around, but could hear and see nothing. He
went up to a little hill to look further but nothing was in sight.
There was but the one footprint. There was no doubt about it, there it
was, foot, toes, heel and every part of a foot. Robinson tried to think
how it might have gotten there, but he could not. It was a mystery. He
was greatly afraid and started at once for his shelter. He ran like one
pursued. At every little way he would look behind to see if anyone was
following him.
Never a frightened rabbit ran to his hiding place with more terror than
Robinson ran to his cave. He did not sleep that night for fear and
remained in his shelter for three days, never venturing out. But his
food was growing short and his goats needed to be milked. He finally
with a thousand wild fancies forced himself to go about his duties.
But he could not get the footprint out of his mind. He spent many sad
and fearful days thinking about it. "How could it have gotten there?
Whose was it? Was the owner savage or not? What did he want on the
island?" were some of the questions that haunted him.
"Perhaps," he thought one day, "I just imagined I saw a footprint, or
perhaps it was one of my own that I have made when going to sail my
boat." He took courage at this and began to go about the island again.
But he went in great fear, always looking behind him. He was always
ready to run at the first sign of danger. He had made himself a large,
strong, new bow and plenty of arrows. He carried these in a quiver he
had made from his cloth. He fashioned too a sharp-pointed, lance-like
weapon which he hurled with a kind of sling. In his belt he carried some
new sharpened stone knives. He had found a better kind of rock out of
which to make his knives. It resembled glass and could be brought to a
fine, keen edge.
Armed thus, he began to have more confidence. He had a strong desire to
see the footprint again and make up his mind about it. He wished to
measure it. In this way he could tell certainly whether it was a chance
print of his own foot or not. So, after a few days, he again ventured
across the island. Alas, on measuring the print it was much larger than
his own! There could no longer be any doubt that it belonged to someone
else.
Again great fear fell on poor Robinson. He shook with cold and fright.
He resolved to make himself more secure against attack.
He cut and carried willow stakes and set them in a thick hedge around in
front of his shelter. This was outside the first and enclosed it. In a
season or two these had grown to such a height as to shut out all view
of his home from sight to one coming to it from the front.
His flock of goats gave him many troubled thoughts. His goats were his
greatest treasure. From them he obtained without trouble his meat, his
milk and butter.
"What if they were discovered and killed or carried away?" He resolved
to divide his herd into three parts and secrete these in separate fenced
pastures in different parts of the island. His herd of goats now
numbered twenty-five. He made thorough search about the island for the
most secluded and best hidden spots where he could fence in a pasture.
One day as he was exploring on the west side of the island to find
another open space for a goat field, he thought he spied away out to sea
a boat. He looked long and anxiously and yet he was not sure that it was
a boat he saw. But how easy, thought Robinson, for the people of the
mainland, which must be at no great distance to the westward, to come
across to this side of the island in fair weather. He thought too, how
fortunate he was to have been cast on the east side of the island. For
there he had his shelter in the very safest part.
As he was coming down from a hill where he had gone to get a better view
of the sea he made another discovery. About him everywhere at the foot
of the hill were bones of all kinds. Near by too, were charcoal and
ashes. There could be no mistake, the place was visited by human beings.
These were very likely savages. Everything showed that they came for the
purpose of feasting and not for plundering. It was very likely that they
neither sought anything on the island nor expected it.
[Illustration: WATCHING FOR SAVAGES]
This thought greatly relieved Robinson. He returned home in a very
thankful and composed state of mind. He had now been on the island
almost eighteen years and had not been discovered. Yet, no doubt, the
island had been visited many times by the savages since he had been
there.
In a short time his fear of discovery wore off and he began to live just
as he did before his discovery.
He took, however, greater precaution against surprise. He always carried
his bow and arrows, his lance and knives. He was also very careful about
making a great smoke from his fire. He burned a great quantity of wood
in a pit and made charcoal. With this material he had a fine fire with a
very little smoke. Every day also he went to the top of the hill back of
his shelter in order to discover if possible the approach of savages.
XXXVI
THE LANDING OF THE SAVAGES
Another year passed by, Robinson longed more and more to get away from
the island. Year after year he had hoped and watched in vain for a
passing ship. Every day he would scan the waters that held him prisoner
for the welcome sight of a sail. He had been disappointed. Now his only
hope was to escape to the mainland in some way. He feared the savages.
He had heard stories of their being cannibals. But if they could come to
his island in their canoes against the prevailing wind, why could he not
get to the mainland with it in his favor?
Strange as it may be, Robinson began to wish for the return of the
savages. He hoped to watch them at a distance and find out something
about their customs. More especially he wished that he might capture one
of them. He had two reasons for this. In the first place he would have a
companion. He pictured fondly how he would teach him gentle manners and
the English speech. And, too, the companion would be able to help him.
Besides this he longed above all to know more of the mainland and
whether it would be safe to go there. He wanted to find out in what kind
of boat they made the voyage. He thought that if he had such a person he
would have someone to show him the way to reach the land.
The more he thought, the more anxious he became to see the savages on
the island. He thought so much about it by day that he dreamed about it
at night. One night he dreamed that the savages came, drew their boats
upon the shore and began to prepare their feast. As he watched them one
of their number broke away from his fellows and came straight toward his
hiding-place. Robinson thought he rushed out, drove away those that
followed the fleeing man and rescued him. This dream made a deep
impression upon him and made him await the coming of the savages with
great hopes and eagerness.
It was more than eighteen months after he had formed this plan of
capturing one of the savages before the savages made their appearance.
Robinson was surprised one morning to see no less than five canoes drawn
up on the shore at a point on his side of the island about two miles
below his shelter, to the south. The people that had come in them were
on shore and out of sight. Robinson went back to his shelter to make his
plans. He made up his mind that he would be foolish to attack them.
There must be twenty-five or thirty of them. He finally went to a point
where he could see farther inland and soon caught sight of a crowd of
about thirty savages. They were naked and dancing around and around in a
circle. All the while they were singing and making hideous noises. There
was a fire in the center of the ring of savages. "They are cooking their
feast," thought Robinson. "Maybe I can surprise them while they eat and
rush in and seize one." But this seemed too great a risk to run. He had
no weapons but his bow and arrows, his lance and knife. What could he do
against so great a number?
But fortune favored his plans. As he gazed at them from his safe
distance he saw one of their number break away from the rest and run
with utmost speed directly toward his hiding-place. At once two other
savages pursued him. They had no weapons but clubs. They ran with great
swiftness, but the man in front was steadily gaining ground.
Robinson now to tell the truth was dreadfully frightened to see the
savage run directly toward him and his shelter. He kept his place,
however, and watched the race. The man running away ran along the shore
and would soon come to the little creek that emptied into the sea below
his home. Robinson saw that the savage would have to swim this to
escape. He ran down thither and concealed himself behind a tree and
waited for the fugitive to come up. As he did so, the fleeing savage
plunged in and swam across with a few strong strokes. When he was well
on the bank, Robinson presented himself and made signs to him to come to
him and he would help him. The savage was at first almost overcome with
astonishment and fright, for Robinson presented a very unusual sight.
The savage at once ran to him and fell down at his feet. Indeed so great
was his fright and distress that he placed one of Robinson's feet upon
his neck in sign that he yielded up his life into his hands. Robinson
raised him up and motioned for him to take the lance and help in defence
against the men, now coming up. They hid behind trees and waited for
them to swim across the stream. But this they did not do. When they
reached the creek, they could see nothing of their runaway. They very
slowly turned and went back to their companions.
Robinson was well content not to let them know that there was any one on
the island. He feared they might return and destroy his shelter and
fields.
Robinson took the savage to his shelter and gave him bread and raisins
to eat, and a cup of water to drink. He was very hungry and ate
greedily. After he had eaten, Robinson made signs for him to lie down
and sleep, for the Indian was nearly tired out with his long and swift
run.
He was a handsome fellow of his race. His limbs were large, straight and
strong. He had a good face. His hair was long and black, his forehead
high, and his eyes bright. His skin was not black, but of an olive
color. His teeth were fine set and as white as ivory.