Page 34 - An American Robinson Crusoe

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.

X X X V

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