Робинзон Крузо
Finds Print of Man’s Foot on the Sand
WhenIcametomycastle,forsoIthinkIcallediteverafterthis,Ifledintoitlikeonepursued. WhetherIwentoverbytheladder,asfirstcontrived,orwentinattheholeintherock,whichIcalledadoor,Icannotremember; no,norcouldIrememberthenextmorning,forneverfrightedharefledtocover,orfoxtoearth,withmoreterrorofmindthanItothisretreat.
Isleptnonethatnight. ThefartherIwasfromtheoccasionofmyfright,thegreatermyapprehensionswere;whichissomethingcontrarytothenatureofsuchthings,andespeciallytotheusualpracticeofallcreaturesinfear. ButIwassoembarrassedwithmyownfrightfulideasofthething,thatIformednothingbutdismalimaginationstomyself,eventhoughIwasnowagreatwayoffit. SometimesIfancieditmustbethedevil,andreasonjoinedinwithmeuponthissupposition; forhowshouldanyotherthinginhumanshapecomeintotheplace? Wherewasthevesselthatbroughtthem? Whatwasthereofanyotherfootsteps? Andhowwasitpossibleamanshouldcomethere? ButthentothinkthatSatanshouldtakehumanshapeuponhiminsuchaplace,wheretherecouldbenomannerofoccasionforit,buttoleavetheprintofhisfootbehindhim,thatevenfornopurposetoo,forhecouldnotbesureIshouldseeit;thiswasanamusementtheotherway. Iconsideredthatthedevilmighthavefoundoutabundanceofotherwaystohaveterrifiedmethanthisofthesingleprintofafoot; thatasIlivedquiteontheothersideoftheisland,hewouldneverhavebeensosimpletoleaveamarkinaplacewhereitwasoftenthousandtoonewhetherIshouldeverseeitornot,andinthesand,too,whichthefirstsurgeofthesea,uponahighwind,wouldhavedefacedentirely. Allthisseemedinconsistentwiththethingitself,andwithallthenotionsweusuallyentertainofthesubtiltyofthedevil.
