Робинзон Крузо
A Cave Retreat
Well,atlengthIfoundaplaceinthesideofthehill,whereIwassatisfiedImightsecurelywaittillIsawanyoftheirboatscoming; andmightthen,evenbeforetheywouldbereadytocomeonshore,conveymyself,unseen,intothicketsoftrees,inoneofwhichtherewasahollowlargeenoughtoconcealmeentirely; andwhereImightsitandobservealltheirbloodydoings,andtakemyfullaimattheirheads,whentheyweresoclosetogether,asthatitwouldbenexttoimpossiblethatIshouldmissmyshot,orthatIcouldfailwoundingthreeoffourofthematfirstshot.
Inthisplace,then,Iresolvedtofixmydesign; and,accordingly,Ipreparedtwomusketsandmyordinaryfowling-piece.ThetwomusketsIloadedwithabraceofslugseach,andfourorfivesmallerbullets,aboutthesizeofpistol-bullets; andthefowling-pieceIloadedwithnearahandfulofswan-shot,ofthelargestsize. Ialsoloadedmypistolswithaboutfourbulletseach; andinthisposture,wellprovidedwithammunitionforasecondandthirdcharge,Ipreparedmyselfformyexpedition.
AfterIhadthuslaidtheschemeofmydesign,andinmyimaginationputitinpractice,Icontinuallymademytoureverymorninguptothetopofthehill,whichwasfrommycastle, asIcalledit,aboutthreemiles,ormore,toseeifIcouldobserveanyboatsupontheseacomingneartheisland,orstandingovertwoorthreemonths,constantlykeptmywatch,butcamealwaysbackwithoutanydiscovery; therehavingnot,inallthattime,beentheappearance,notonlyonorneartheshore,butnotonthewholeocean,sofarasmyeyesorglassescouldreacheveryway.
