Journeys Through Bookland, Vol. 3Sylvester, Charles Herbert
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Journeys Through Bookland, Vol. 3
Sylvester, Charles Herbert
Children's literature; Literature -- Collections
The next day, after I came home to my hutch with him, I began to
consider where I should lodge him; and that I might do well for him
and yet be perfectly easy myself, I made a little tent for him in the
vacant place between my two fortifications, in the inside of the last,
and in the outside of the first; and as there was a door or entrance
there into my cave, I made a formal framed doorcase, and a door to it
of boards, and set it up in the passage, a little within the entrance;
and, causing the door to open in the inside, I barred it up in the
night, taking in my ladders, too; so that Friday could no way come at
me in the inside of my innermost wall, without making so much noise in
getting over it that it must needs awaken me; for my first wall had
now a complete roof over it of long poles, covering all my tent, and
leaning up to the side of the hill; which was again laid across with
smaller sticks, instead of laths, and then thatched over a great
thickness with the rice straw, which was strong, like reeds; and at
the hole or place which was left to go in or out by the ladder, I had
placed a kind of trapdoor, which, if it had been attempted on the
outside, would not have opened at all, but would have fallen down and
made a great noise; and as to weapons, I took them all into my side
every night, But I needed none of all this precaution: for never man
had a more faithful, loving, sincere servant than Friday was to me;
without passions, sullenness, or designs, perfectly obliging and
engaging; his very affections were tied to me like those of a child to
a father; and I dare say he would have sacrificed his life to save
mine, upon any occasion whatsoever; the many testimonies he gave me of
this put it out of doubt, and soon convinced me that I needed to use
no precautions for my safety on his account.
I was greatly delighted with him, and made it my business to teach him
everything that was proper to make him useful, handy, and helpful; but
especially to make him speak, and understand me when I spoke; and he
was the aptest scholar that ever was; and particularly was so merry,
so constantly diligent, and so pleased when he could but understand
me, or make me understand him, that it was very pleasant to me to talk
to him. Now my life began to be so easy that I began to say to myself,
that could I but have been safe from more savages, I cared not if I
was never to be removed from the place where I lived.
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Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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