The Junior Classics, Volume 5: Stories that never grow old
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The Junior Classics, Volume 5: Stories that never grow old
Children's literature
This confusion of my thoughts kept me awake all night; but in the
morning I fell asleep; and having, by the amusement of my mind,
been as it were tired, and my spirits exhausted, I slept very
soundly, and waked much better composed than I had ever been
before. And now I began to think sedately; and, upon debate with
myself, I concluded that this island (which was so exceedingly
pleasant, fruitful, and no farther from the mainland than as I had
seen) was not so entirely abandoned as I might imagine; that,
although there were no stated inhabitants who lived on the spot,
yet that there might sometimes come boats off from the shore, who,
either with design, or perhaps never but when they were driven by
cross winds, might come to this place; that I had lived there
fifteen years now and had not met with the least shadow or figure
of any people yet; and that, if at any time they should be driven
here, it was probable they went away again as soon as ever they
could, seeing they had never thought fit to fix here upon any
occasion; that the most I could suggest any danger from was from
any casual accidental landing of straggling people from the main,
who, as it was likely, if they were driven hither, were here
against their wills, so they made no stay here, but went off again
with all possible speed; seldom staying one night on shore, lest
they should not have the help of the tides and daylight back
again; and that, therefore, I had nothing to do but consider of
some safe retreat, in case I should see any savages land upon the
spot.
Now I began sorely to repent that I had dug my cave so large as to
bring a door through again, which door, as I said, came out beyond
where my fortification joined to the rock; upon maturely
considering this, therefore, I resolved to draw me a second
fortification; in the manner of a semicircle, at a distance from
my wall, just where I had planted a double row of trees about
twelve years before, of which I made mention; these trees having
been planted so thick before, they wanted but few piles to be
driven between them, that they might be thicker and stronger, and
my wall would be soon finished. So that I had now a double wall;
and my outer wall was thickened with pieces of timber, old cables,
and everything I could think of, to make it strong; having in it
seven little holes, about as big as I might put my arm out at. In
the inside of this I thickened my wall to about ten feet thick
with continually bringing earth out of my cave, and laying it at
the foot of the wall, and walking upon it; and through the seven
holes I contrived to plant the muskets, of which I took notice
that I had got seven on shore out of the ship; these I planted
like my cannon, and fitted them into frames, that held them like a
carriage, so that I could fire all the seven guns in two minutes'
time; this wall I was many a weary month in finishing, and yet
never thought myself safe till it was done.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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