Робинзон Крузо
Wreck of a Spanish Ship
Iknownotwhatwastheparticularoccasionofit,butasIwasreadingintheBible,andtakenupwithveryseriousthoughtsaboutmypresentcondition,Iwassurprisedwithanoiseofagun,asIthought,firedatsea.
Thiswas,tobesure,asurpriseofaquitedifferentnaturefromanyIhadmetwithbefore; forthenotionsthisputintomythoughtswerequiteofanotherkind. Istartedupinthegreatesthasteimaginableand,inatrice,clappedmyladdertothemiddleplaceoftherock,andpulleditafterme; andmountingitthesecondtime,gottothetopofthehilltheverymomentthataflashoffirebidmelistenforasecondgun,whichaccordingly,inabouthalfaminute,Iheard; and,bythesound,knewthatitwasfromthepartoftheseawhereIwasdrivendownthecurrentinmyboat.
Iimmediatelyconsideredthatthismustbesomeshipindistress,andthattheyhadsomecomrade,orsomeothershipincompany,andfiredthesegunforsignalsofdistress,andtoobtainhelp. Ihadthispresenceofmind,atthatminute,astothinkthatthoughIcouldnothelpthem,itmightbethattheymighthelpme; soIbroughttogetherallthedrywoodIcouldgetathand,and,makingagoodhandsomepile,Isetitonfireuponthehill. Thewoodwasdry,andblazedfreely;andthoughthewindblewveryhard,yetitburntfairlyout;sothatIwascertain,iftherewasanysuchthingasaship,theymustneedsseeit,andnodoubttheydid; forassoonasevermyfireblazedupIheardanothergun,andafterthatseveralothers,allfromthesamequarter. Ipliedmyfireallnightlongtilldaybroke;andwhenitwasbroadday,andtheairclearedup,Isawsomethingatagreatdistanceatsea,fulleastoftheisland,whetherasailorahullIcouldnotdistinguish,no,notwithmyglasses,thedistancewassogreat,andtheweatherstillsomethinghazyalso;atleastitwassooutatsea.
