Page 288 - Child's own book

the night. His coming having caused a truce, every one or
those creatures keeping still and quiet during his stay, he
resolved lo use his endeavours to make a solid peace. There­
fore dividing the fruit into two parcels, those animals came
quietly to that share next them, and carried it away to their
quartet. He then took a walk to see how liis pens and beans
came on, which he found in a very improving- state, each stem
hearing a number of well-filled pods, Jn this prosperous way
he lived fifteen years, finding no alteration m the seasons,
during which time he made himself a winter garb of the soft
grass, which reached to his heels, and a cap of the same.
Being one day on tli£ rocl^s, he saw something like an Indian
canoe ; fearing (here might he some of these people on the
island, he hastened home to secure what he had, hut it was too
late ; they hud been there already, and had tiiken away the
clothes he found in the chest, some of his curious shells, and
what grieved him most, the fine bird he had taken such pains
to stuff, as also his bow and arrow's. Having missed these
things, which lie much valued, he hastened to the outside of
the rock ; when he saw two men coming down, with each a
bundle in his hand, going to something ho took to be a chest,
and having put their load into it, pushed it away, aud rowed to
a long-hoat that lay at some distance, behind a jutting part of
the rock, which screened it from his sight, as also the ship it
belonged to. When he wtnt home, he found they had rifled
and ransacked his habitation, and not left him so much as one
of the mats to keep his body from the ground. His winter
garb also was gone, and what else (hey could find for their use.
The loss of these things, which he could not do without, filled
him with sorrow; but, having walked about a mile, he per­
ceived the same men coming towards the pond. By the time
he had come up to them, they had caught the two old ducks,