Page 36 - An American Robinson Crusoe

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.

X X X VI

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