第7章

RobinsonCrusoecouldnothavebeenmorestartledatthefootprintinthesandthanwewereatthisunwelcomediscovery。Myfirstimpulsewastomakeasrapidaretreataspossible，andbendourstepsinsomeotherdirection；butourcuriositytoseewhitherthispathmightlead，promptedustopursueit。Soonwewent，thetrackbecomingmoreandmorevisiblethefartherweproceeded，untilitconductedustothevergeoftheravine，whereitabruptlyterminated。

“Andso，“saidToby，peeringdownintothechasm，“everyonethattravelsthispathtakesajumphere，eh？“

“Notso，“saidI，“forIthinktheymightmanagetodescendwithoutit；whatsayyou，-shallweattemptthefeat？“

“Andwhat，inthenameofcavesandcoal-holes，doyouexpecttofindatthebottomofthatgulfbutabrokenneck-why，itlooksblackerthanourship’shold，andtheroarofthosewaterfallsdowntherewouldbatterone’sbrainstopieces。“

“Oh，no，Toby，“Iexclaimed，laughing；“butthere’ssomethingtobeseenhere，that’splain，ortherewouldhavebeennopath，andIamresolvedtofindoutwhatitis。“

“Iwilltellyouwhat，mypleasantfellow，“rejoinedToby，quickly，“ifyouaregoingtopryintoeverythingyoumeetwithherethatexcitesyourcuriosity，youwillmarvellouslysoongetknockedonthehead；toadeadcertaintyyouwillcomebanguponapartyofthesesavagesinthemidstofyourdiscovery-makings，andIdoubtwhethersuchaneventwouldparticularlydelightyou。Justtakemyadviceforonce，andletus’boutshipandsteerinsomeotherdirection；

besides，it’sgettinglate，andweoughttobemooringourselvesforthenight。“

“ThatisjustthethingIhavebeendrivingat，“repliedI；“andI

amthinkingthatthisravinewillexactlyanswerourpurpose，foritisroomy，secluded，wellwatered，andmayshelterusfromtheweather。“

“Ay，andfromsleeptoo，andbythesametokenwillgiveussorethroats，andrheumatismsintothebargain，“criedToby，withevidentdislikeattheidea。

“Oh，verywellthen，mylad，“saidI，“sinceyouwillnotaccompanyme，hereIgo，alone。Youwillseemeinthemorning“；andadvancingtotheedgeofthecliffuponwhichwehadbeenstanding，Iproceededtolowermyselfdownbythetangledrootswhichclusteredaboutallthecrevicesoftherock。AsIhadanticipated，Toby，inspiteofhispreviousremonstrances，followedmyexample，anddroppinghimselfwiththeactivityofasquirrelfrompointtopoint，hequicklyoutstrippedme，andeffectedalandingatthebottombeforeIhadaccomplishedtwo-thirdsofthedescent。

Thesightthatnowgreeteduswasonethatwilleverbevividlyimpresseduponmymind。Fivefoamingstreams，rushingthroughasmanygorges，andswelledandturbidbytherecentrains，unitedtogetherinonemadplungeofnearlyeightyfeet，andfellwithwilduproarintoadeepblackpoolscoopedoutofthegloomy-lookingrocksthatlaypiledaround，andthenceinonecollectedbodydasheddownanarrowslopingchannelwhichseemedtopenetrateintotheverybowelsoftheearth。Overhead，vastrootsoftreeshungdownfromthesidesoftheravine，drippingwithmoisture，andtremblingwiththeconcussionsproducedbythefall。Itwasnowsunset，andthefeebleuncertainlightthatfounditswayintothesecavernsandwoodydepthsheightenedtheirstrangeappearance，andremindedusthatinashorttimeweshouldfindourselvesinutterdarkness。

AssoonasIhadsatisfiedmycuriositybygazingatthisscene，I

felltowonderinghowitwasthatwhatwehadtakenforapathshouldhaveconductedustososingularaplace，andbegantosuspectthatafterallImighthavebeendeceivedinsupposingittohavebeenatrackformedbytheislanders。Thiswasratheranagreeablereflectionthanotherwise，foritdiminishedourdreadofaccidentallymeetingwithanyofthem，andIcametotheconclusionthatperhapswecouldnothaveselectedamoresecurehiding-placethanthisveryspotwehadsoaccidentallyhitupon。Tobyagreedwithmeinthisviewofthematter，andweimmediatelybegangatheringtogetherthelimbsoftreeswhichlayscatteredabout，withtheviewofconstructingatemporaryhutforthenight。Thiswewereobligedtobuildclosetothefootofthecataract，forthecurrentofwaterextendedverynearlytothesidesofthegorge。Thefewmomentsoflightthatremainedweemployedincoveringourhutwithaspeciesofbroad-bladedgrassthatgrewineveryfissureoftheravine。Ourhut，ifitdeservedtobecalledone，consistedofsixoreightofthestraightestbrancheswecouldfindlaidobliquelyagainstthesteepwallofrock，withtheirlowerendswithinafootofthestream。

Intothespacethuscoveredoverwemanagedtocrawl，anddisposeourweariedbodiesasbestwecould。

ShallIeverforgetthathorridnight！AsforpoorToby，Icouldscarcelygetawordoutofhim。Itwouldhavebeensomeconsolationtohaveheardhisvoice，buthelayshiveringthelive-longnightlikeamanafflictedwiththepalsy，withhiskneesdrawnuptohishead，whilehisbackwassupportedagainstthedrippingsideoftherock。

Duringthiswretchednightthereseemednothingwantingtocompletetheperfectmiseryofourcondition。Theraindescendedinsuchtorrentsthatourpoorshelterprovedameremockery。InvaindidI

trytoeludetheincessantstreamsthatpoureduponme；byprotectingonepartIonlyexposedanother，andthewaterwascontinuallyfindingsomenewopeningthroughwhichtodrenchus。

Ihavehadmanyaduckinginthecourseofmylife，andingeneralcaredlittleaboutit:buttheaccumulatedhorrorsofthatnight，thedeath-likecoldnessoftheplace，theappallingdarknessandthedismalsenseofourforlorncondition，almostunmannedme。

Itwillnotbedoubtedthatthenextmorningwewereearlyrisers，andassoonasIcouldcatchthefaintestglimpseofanythinglikedaylightIshookmycompanionbythearm，andtoldhimitwassunrise。

PoorTobylifteduphishead，andafteramoment’spausesaid，inahuskyvoice，“Then，shipmate，mytoplightshavegoneout，foritappearsdarkernowwithmyeyesopenthanitdidwhentheywereshut。“

“Nonsense！“exclaimedI；“youarenotawakeyet。“

“Awake！“roaredToby，inarage；“awake！YoumeantoinsinuateI’vebeenasleep，doyou？Itisaninsulttoamantosupposehecouldsleepinsuchaplaceasthis。“

BythetimeIhadapologizedtomyfriendforhavingmisconstruedhissilence，ithadbecomesomewhatmorelight，andwecrawledoutofourlair。Therainhadceased，buteverythingarounduswasdrippingwithmoisture。Westrippedoffoursaturatedgarments，andwrungthemasdryaswecould。Wecontrivedtomakethebloodcirculateinourbenumbedlimbsbyrubbingthemvigorouslywithourhands；andafterperformingourablutionsinthestream，andputtingonourstillwetclothes，webegantotitadvisabletobreakourlongfast，itbeingnowtwenty-fourhourssincewehadtastedfood。

Accordingly，ourday’srationwasbroughtout，andseatingourselvesonadetachedfragmentofrock，weproceededtodiscussit。Firstwedivideditintotwoequalportions，andcarefullyrollingoneofthemupforourevening’srepast，dividedtheremainderagainasequallyaspossible，andthendrewlotsforthefirstchoice。I

couldhaveplacedthemorselthatfelltomyshareuponthetipofmyfinger；butnotwithstandingthis，ItookcarethatitshouldbefulltenminutesbeforeIhadswallowedthelastcrumb。Whatatruesayingitisthat“appetitefurnishesthebestsauce“！Therewasaflavourandarelishtothissmallparticleoffoodthat，underothercircumstances，itwouldhavebeenimpossibleforthemostdelicateviandstohaveimparted。Acopiousdraughtofthepurewaterwhichflowedatourfeetservedtocompletethemeal，andafteritwerosesensiblyrefreshed，andpreparedforwhatevermightbefallus。

Wenowcarefullyexaminedthechasminwhichwehadpassedthenight。Wecrossedthestream，andgainingthefarthersideofthepoolIhavementioned，discoveredproofsthatthespotmusthavebeenvisitedbysomeonebutashorttimeprevioustoourarrival。

Furtherobservationconvincedusthatithadbeenregularlyfrequented，and，asweafterwardsconjecturedfromparticularindications，forthepurposeofobtainingacertainroot，fromwhichthenativesobtainedakindofointment。

Thesediscoveriesimmediatelydeterminedustoabandonaplacewhichhadpresentednoinducementforustoremain，exceptthepromiseofsecurity；andaswelookedaboutusforthemeansofascendingagainintotheupperregions，weatlastfoundapracticablepartoftherock，andhalf-an-hour’stoilcarriedustothesummitofthesameclifffromwhichtheprecedingeveningwehaddescended。

InowproposedtoTobythatinsteadoframblingabouttheisland，exposingourselvestodiscoveryateveryturn，weshouldselectsomeplaceasourfixedabodeforaslongaperiodasourfoodshouldholdout，buildourselvesacomfortablehut，andbeasprudentandcircumspectaspossible。Toallthismycompanionassented，andweatoncesetaboutcarryingtheplanintoexecution。

Withthisview，afterexploringwithoutsuccessalittleglennearus，wecrossedseveraloftheridgesofwhichIhavebeforespoken；

andaboutnoonfoundourselvesascendingalongandgraduallyrisingslope，butstillwithouthavingdiscoveredanyplaceadaptedtoourpurpose。Lowandheavycloudsbetokenedanapproachingstorm，andwehurriedontogainacovertinaclumpofthickwhichappearedtoterminatethelongascent。Wethrewourselvesundertheleeofthesebushes，andpullingupthelonggrassthatgrewaround，coveredourselvescompletelywithit，andawaitedtheshower。

Butitdidnotcomeassoonaswehadexpected，andbeforemanyminutesmycompanionwasfastasleep，andIwasrapidlyfallingintothesamestateofhappyforgetfulness。Justatthisjuncture，however，downcametherainwithaviolencethatputallthoughtsofslumbertoflight。Althoughinsomemeasuresheltered，ourclothessoonbecameaswetasever；this，afterallthetroublewehadtakentodrythem，wasprovokingenough:buttherewasnohelpforit；andIrecommendalladventurousyouthswhoabandonvesselsinromanticislandsduringtherainyseason，toprovidethemselveswithumbrellas。

Afteranhourorsotheshowerpassedaway。Mycompanionsleptthroughitall，orleastappearedsotodo；andnowthatitwasoverI

hadnotthehearttoawakenhim。AsIlayonmybackcompletelyshroudedwithverdure，theleafybranchesdroopingoverme，andmylimbsburiedingrass，Icouldnotavoidcomparingoursituationwiththatoftheinterestingbabesinthewood。Poorlittlesufferers！-nowondertheirconstitutionsbrokedownunderthehardshipstowhichtheywereexposed。

Duringthehourortwospentundertheshelterofthesebushes，IbegantofeelsymptomswhichIatonceattributedtotheexposureoftheprecedingnight。Coldshiveringsandaburningfeversucceededoneanotheratintervals，whileoneofmylegswasswelledtosuchadegree，andpainedmesoacutely，thatIhalfsuspectedIhadbeenbittenbysomevenomousreptile，thecongenialinhabitantofthechasmfromwhichwehadlatelyemerged。Imayhereremarkbytheway-whatI