Every Girl's Library, Volume 8 of 10: A Collection of Appropriate and Instructive Reading for Girls of All Ages from the Best Authors of All Time
General
Every Girl's Library, Volume 8 of 10: A Collection of Appropriate and Instructive Reading for Girls of All Ages from the Best Authors of All Time
Literature -- Collections
I reached the shore at last, about eight o'clock in the evening, and
advanced nearly half a mile inland, but could not discover any sign of
inhabitants. I was extremely tired, and with the heat of the weather I
found myself much inclined to sleep. I lay down on the grass, which was
very short and soft, and slept sounder than ever I did in my life for
about nine hours. When I awoke it was just daylight. I attempted to
rise, but could not; for as I happened to be lying on my back, I found
my arms and legs were fastened on each side to the ground, and my hair,
which was long and thick, tied down in the same manner. I could only
look upward. The sun began to grow hot, and the light hurt my eyes. I
heard a confused noise about me, but could see nothing except the sky.
In a little time I felt something alive moving on my left leg, which,
advancing gently over my breast, came almost up to my chin, when,
bending my eyes downward, I perceived it to be a human creature, not six
inches high, with a bow and arrow in his hands and a quiver at his back.
In the mean time I felt at least forty more following the first. I was
in the utmost astonishment, and roared so loud that they all ran back in
a fright; and some of them were hurt with the falls they got by leaping
from my sides upon the ground. However, they soon returned, and one of
them, who ventured so far as to get a full sight of my face, lifted up
his hands in admiration. I lay all this while in great uneasiness; but
at length, struggling to get loose, I succeeded in breaking the strings
that fastened my left arm to the ground, and at the same time, with a
violent pull that gave me extreme pain, I a little loosened the strings
that tied down my hair, so that I was just able to turn my head about
two inches.
But the creatures ran off a second time before I could seize them,
whereupon there was a great shout, and in an instant I felt above a
hundred arrows discharged on my left hand, which pricked me like so many
needles. Moreover, they shot another flight into the air, of which some
fell on my face, which I immediately covered with my left hand. When the
shower of arrows was over I groaned with grief and pain, and then,
striving again to get loose, they discharged another flight of arrows,
larger than the first, and some of them tried to stab me with their
spears; but by good luck I had on a leather jacket, which they could
not pierce. By this time I thought it most prudent to lie still till
night, when, my left hand being already loose, I could easily free
myself; and as for the inhabitants, I thought I might be a match for the
greatest army they could bring against me if they were all of the same
size with him I saw.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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