Межзвёздный скиталец

           Sincehumanpersonalityisagrowth,asumofallpreviousexistencesaddedtogether,whatpossibilitywasthereforWardenAthertontobreakdownmyspiritintheinquisitionofsolitary?Iamlifethatsurvived,astructurebuildedupthroughtheagesofthepast—andsuchapast!Whatweretendaysandnightsinthejackettome?—tome,whohadoncebeenDanielFoss,andforeightyearslearnedpatienceinthatschoolofrocksinthefarSouthOcean?

           *****

           AttheendofmyeighthyearontheislandinthemonthofSeptember,whenIhadjustsketchedmostambitiousplanstoraisemypyramidtosixtyfeetabovethesummitoftheisland,Iawokeonemorningtostareoutuponashipwithtopsailsabackandnearlywithinhail.ThatImightbediscovered,Iswungmyoarintheair,jumpedfromrocktorock,andwasguiltyofallmanneroflivelinessesofaction,untilIcouldseetheofficersonthequarter-decklookingatmethroughtheirspyglasses.Theyansweredbypointingtotheextremewesterlyendoftheisland,whitherIhastenedanddiscoveredtheirboatmannedbyhalfadozenmen.Itseems,asIwastolearnafterward,theshiphadbeenattractedbymypyramidandhadaltereditscoursetomakecloserexaminationofsostrangeastructurethatwasgreaterofheightthanthewildislandonwhichitstood.

           Butthesurfprovedtobetoogreattopermittheboattolandonmyinhospitableshore.