You can imagine with what surprise Robinson was awakened out of hissleep by a voice calling his name. "Robinson, Robinson Crusoe," it said,"poor Robinson Crusoe! Where are you Robinson, where have you been?"
He was so fast asleep that he did not at first rouse up entirely andthought he was dreaming. But the voice kept calling, "Robinson,Robinson, poor Robinson Crusoe!" He was greatly frightened and startedup. But no sooner were his eyes opened than he saw his parrot sitting ona 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 apleasant 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 backto the shelter. Up to this time Robinson had never seen any dangerousanimals on the island. He had grown used to life there and went aboutwithout fear of animals. But as he was returning across a littleopening, he saw a clump of palms in the centre of the opening, swayingabout. He did not at first see what caused this, but soon there wasthrust out the head of a great serpent. Its jaws were open and its eyeswere fixed on a poor terrified little rabbit. The rabbit seemed rootedto the spot. It could not stir a muscle and was soon caught in the foldsof the great snake.
This sight made Robinson greatly afraid. He wanted to rush to the rescueof the rabbit, but what could he do against such a foe? He resolved inthe future to keep a more careful watch and always to sleep in hisbower.
Robinson had enough of exploring for some time. He was contented toremain at home. He made many things he needed. He had saved all theskins of the goats he had killed for meat and all that had died from anycause. These he made into rugs for his bed. He kept at his loom too, forhe was anxious to weave enough of his coarse cloth to make him a suit ofclothes. He learned how to braid mats and rugs out of his fibre, andfinally replaced his awkward hat and parasol with others braided veryskillfully from the long grasses that grew so abundantly in the marshyplaces.
Another thing that Robinson was now able to make or weave out of hisfibre was a hammock. He had slept all this time on a bed made of poleslaid 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 hehad made two. One was for the bower and the other was for useout-of-doors. When his work was done in the evening or in the heat ofthe midday he would lie in it at full length under the shade of thetrees.
XXXV
A DISCOVERY
Robinson could not forget his boat. It seemed a companion. "It may bethe means of my escape from this place," he thought. He took frequentjourneys across the island to where his little boat lay in the cove. Hewould start out in the morning and walk over to the west side of theisland, take his boat and have a pleasant little sail. He alwaysreturned 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 manynights without sleep because of fear.
It was while on one of his visits to his boat that Robinson made adiscovery that changed his whole life. It happened one day, about noon,when he was going toward his boat that he, with great surprise, saw theprint of a man's naked foot on the shore in the sand. He stood like onerooted to the ground. He could not move, so great was his surprise andfear. He listened, looked around, but could hear and see nothing. Hewent 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 itwas, foot, toes, heel and every part of a foot. Robinson tried to thinkhow it might have gotten there, but he could not. It was a mystery. Hewas greatly afraid and started at once for his shelter. He ran like onepursued. At every little way he would look behind to see if anyone wasfollowing him.
Never a frightened rabbit ran to his hiding place with more terror thanRobinson ran to his cave. He did not sleep that night for fear andremained in his shelter for three days, never venturing out. But hisfood was growing short and his goats needed to be milked. He finallywith 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 sadand 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 theisland?" were some of the questions that haunted him.
"Perhaps," he thought one day, "I just imagined I saw a footprint, orperhaps it was one of my own that I have made when going to sail myboat." 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 alwaysready 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 hehad made from his cloth. He fashioned too a sharp-pointed, lance-likeweapon which he hurled with a kind of sling. In his belt he carried somenew sharpened stone knives. He had found a better kind of rock out ofwhich to make his knives. It resembled glass and could be brought to afine, keen edge.
Armed thus, he began to have more confidence. He had a strong desire tosee the footprint again and make up his mind about it. He wished tomeasure it. In this way he could tell certainly whether it was a chanceprint of his own foot or not. So, after a few days, he again venturedacross the island. Alas, on measuring the print it was much larger thanhis own! There could no longer be any doubt that it belonged to someoneelse.
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 infront of his shelter. This was outside the first and enclosed it. In aseason or two these had grown to such a height as to shut out all viewof his home from sight to one coming to it from the front.
His flock of goats gave him many troubled thoughts. His goats were hisgreatest treasure. From them he obtained without trouble his meat, hismilk and butter.
"What if they were discovered and killed or carried away?" He resolvedto divide his herd into three parts and secrete these in separate fencedpastures in different parts of the island. His herd of goats nownumbered twenty-five. He made thorough search about the island for themost 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 findanother open space for a goat field, he thought he spied away out to seaa boat. He looked long and anxiously and yet he was not sure that it wasa boat he saw. But how easy, thought Robinson, for the people of themainland, which must be at no great distance to the westward, to comeacross to this side of the island in fair weather. He thought too, howfortunate he was to have been cast on the east side of the island. Forthere 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 viewof the sea he made another discovery. About him everywhere at the footof the hill were bones of all kinds. Near by too, were charcoal andashes. There could be no mistake, the place was visited by human beings.These were very likely savages. Everything showed that they came for thepurpose of feasting and not for plundering. It was very likely that theyneither sought anything on the island nor expected it.
WATCHING FOR SAVAGES]
This thought greatly relieved Robinson. He returned home in a verythankful and composed state of mind. He had now been on the islandalmost eighteen years and had not been discovered. Yet, no doubt, theisland had been visited many times by the savages since he had beenthere.
In a short time his fear of discovery wore off and he began to live justas he did before his discovery.
He took, however, greater precaution against surprise. He always carriedhis bow and arrows, his lance and knives. He was also very careful aboutmaking a great smoke from his fire. He burned a great quantity of woodin a pit and made charcoal. With this material he had a fine fire with avery little smoke. Every day also he went to the top of the hill back ofhis s
helter 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 fromthe island. Year after year he had hoped and watched in vain for apassing ship. Every day he would scan the waters that held him prisonerfor the welcome sight of a sail. He had been disappointed. Now his onlyhope 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 tohis island in their canoes against the prevailing wind, why could he notget to the mainland with it in his favor?
Strange as it may be, Robinson began to wish for the return of thesavages. He hoped to watch them at a distance and find out somethingabout their customs. More especially he wished that he might capture oneof them. He had two reasons for this. In the first place he would have acompanion. He pictured fondly how he would teach him gentle manners andthe English speech. And, too, the companion would be able to help him.Besides this he longed above all to know more of the mainland andwhether it would be safe to go there. He wanted to find out in what kindof boat they made the voyage. He thought that if he had such a person hewould have someone to show him the way to reach the land.
The more he thought, the more anxious he became to see the savages onthe island. He thought so much about it by day that he dreamed about itat night. One night he dreamed that the savages came, drew their boatsupon the shore and began to prepare their feast. As he watched them oneof their number broke away from his fellows and came straight toward hishiding-place. Robinson thought he rushed out, drove away those thatfollowed the fleeing man and rescued him. This dream made a deepimpression upon him and made him await the coming of the savages withgreat hopes and eagerness.
It was more than eighteen months after he had formed this plan ofcapturing one of the savages before the savages made their appearance.Robinson was surprised one morning to see no less than five canoes drawnup on the shore at a point on his side of the island about two milesbelow his shelter, to the south. The people that had come in them wereon shore and out of sight. Robinson went back to his shelter to make hisplans. 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 pointwhere he could see farther inland and soon caught sight of a crowd ofabout thirty savages. They were naked and dancing around and around in acircle. All the while they were singing and making hideous noises. Therewas a fire in the center of the ring of savages. "They are cooking theirfeast," thought Robinson. "Maybe I can surprise them while they eat andrush in and seize one." But this seemed too great a risk to run. He hadno weapons but his bow and arrows, his lance and knife. What could he doagainst so great a number?
But fortune favored his plans. As he gazed at them from his safedistance he saw one of their number break away from the rest and runwith utmost speed directly toward his hiding-place. At once two othersavages pursued him. They had no weapons but clubs. They ran with greatswiftness, but the man in front was steadily gaining ground.
Robinson now to tell the truth was dreadfully frightened to see thesavage run directly toward him and his shelter. He kept his place,however, and watched the race. The man running away ran along the shoreand would soon come to the little creek that emptied into the sea belowhis home. Robinson saw that the savage would have to swim this toescape. He ran down thither and concealed himself behind a tree andwaited for the fugitive to come up. As he did so, the fleeing savageplunged in and swam across with a few strong strokes. When he was wellon the bank, Robinson presented himself and made signs to him to come tohim and he would help him. The savage was at first almost overcome withastonishment and fright, for Robinson presented a very unusual sight.The savage at once ran to him and fell down at his feet. Indeed so greatwas his fright and distress that he placed one of Robinson's feet uponhis neck in sign that he yielded up his life into his hands. Robinsonraised him up and motioned for him to take the lance and help in defenceagainst the men, now coming up. They hid behind trees and waited forthem to swim across the stream. But this they did not do. When theyreached the creek, they could see nothing of their runaway. They veryslowly turned and went back to their companions.
Robinson was well content not to let them know that there was any one onthe island. He feared they might return and destroy his shelter andfields.
Robinson took the savage to his shelter and gave him bread and raisinsto eat, and a cup of water to drink. He was very hungry and ategreedily. After he had eaten, Robinson made signs for him to lie downand sleep, for the Indian was nearly tired out with his long and swiftrun.
He was a handsome fellow of his race. His limbs were large, straight andstrong. He had a good face. His hair was long and black, his foreheadhigh, and his eyes bright. His skin was not black, but of an olivecolor. His teeth were fine set and as white as ivory.
He slept about an hour; when he awoke he came running to Robinson andagain made signs to him that he was his slave. "You saved my life," heseemed to say, "and now I will serve you." Robinson named him Friday atonce, for that was the day on which the great event of his escape hadtaken place.
Robinson's next care was to fit him out with some clothing. He had bythis time several suits made of his coarse cloth. He soon had Fridaydressed in one of the old ones, with a straw or braided hat on his head.He did not think it safe to allow Friday to sleep with him in the bower.He made a little tent for him inside the enclosure. This was coveredwith goatskins and made a very good protection from both heat and rain.
Robinson took care to keep all his knives and weapons near him in thebower. But his fears that Friday might harm him were unfounded. Fridayfrom the first was faithful to his master. He was sweet and obedient inall things. He seemed to look upon Robinson with the love of a child forits father and never tired of serving him.
XXXVII
ROBINSON AS A TEACHER
(From Robinson's Diary)
"I began to consider that having now two mouths to feed instead of one, Imust provide more ground for my harvest and plant a larger quantity ofcorn than I used to plant. So I marked out a larger piece of land andbegan to fence it in. Friday worked not only very willingly but veryhard. I told him that it was for corn to make more bread because he wasnow with me. He let me know that he was grateful for my kindness andwould work much harder if I would tell him what to do.
"This was the pleasantest year of all the life I led in this place.Friday began to talk pretty well and understood the names of almost allthe things that I called for and of all the places which I wished tosend him. I was careful to teach him all the things I knew. I showed himhow to plant and harvest corn, how to gather fibre, spin yarn and toweave it into cloth. He learned these things quickly and became veryskillful in making pots. He knew something about this because at home hehad seen the women make them. He ornamented them with figures of birdsand flowers. I taught him about the true God. But as for writing hecould never do much with this. I had no books and could not make himunderstand the importance of writing. He began to talk a great deal tome. This delighted me very much. I began to love him exceedingly. He wasso very honest and faithful.
"After I had taught him English I tried one day to find out whether hehad any wish to return to his own country and as I talked to him aboutit I saw his face light up with joy and his eye sparkle. From this I hadno doubt but that Friday would like to be in his own country again. Thisfor a time made me sad, to think how eagerly he would leave me to beamong his savage friends. 'Do you not wish you were back in your owncountry, Friday?' I said to him one day. 'Yes,' he said, 'I be much Oglad to be back in my country.' 'What would you do there,' said I?'Would you turn wild again and do as the savages do?' He shook his headand said very gravely, 'No, no, Friday tell them to live good. He tellthem to plant corn and live like white mans.'
"One day when we were on the top of a hill on the west side of theisland, Friday suddenly began to jump and dance about in great glee. Iasked
him what the matter was. 'O, joy, O glad,' he said; 'there mycountry!' The air was so clear that from this place, as I had beforediscovered, land could be distinctly seen looking westward.
"I asked him how far it was from our island to his country and whethertheir canoes were ever lost in coming and going. He said that there wasno danger. No canoes were ever wrecked and that it was easy to get backand forth. I asked him many things about his people and country. He toldme that away to the west of his country there lived 'white mans likeyou.' I thought these must be the people of Central America, and askedhim how I might come from this island and get among these white men. Hemade me understand that I must have a large boat as big as two canoes.
"I resolved at once to begin to make a boat large enough for us to passover to the land we could see lying to the west and if possible to go onto the white man's country Friday told me about. It took us nearly twomonths to make our boat and rig her out with sails, masts, rudder, andanchor. We had to weave our sails and twist our rope. We burned out thecanoe from a large fallen log. We used a great stone tied securely tothe end of a strong rope for an anchor.
ROBINSON AND FRIDAY SAILING THE BOAT]
"When we had the boat in the water, Friday showed great skill in rowingor paddling it. He had managed boats ever since he was old enough, buthe did not know how to handle a sail or rudder. He learned very quickly,however, to sail and steer the boat and soon was perfectly at home init.
"We made our boat safe by keeping it in the little cove at the mouth ofthe creek. I had Friday to fetch rocks and build a dock or place forlanding. But the rainy season was now coming on and we must wait forfair weather. In the meantime I planned to lay by such quantities offood as we would need to take along."