Робінзон Крузо
Finds Print of Man’s Foot on the Sand
ButwhenIcametotheplace,first,itappearedevidentlytome,thatwhenIlaidupmyboat,Icouldnotpossiblybeonshoreanywherethereabout; secondly,whenIcametomeasurethemarkwithmyownfoot,Ifoundmyfootnotsolargebyagreatdeal. Boththesethingsfilledmyheadwithnewimaginations,andgavemethevaporsagaintothehighestdegree;sothatIshookwithcold,likeoneinanague; andIwenthomeagain,filledwiththebeliefthatsomemanormenhadbeenonshorethere; for,inshort,thattheislandwasinhabited,andImightbesurprisedbeforeIwasaware. Andwhatcoursetotakeformysecurity,Iknewnot.
Oh,whatridiculousresolutionmentakewhenpossessedwithfear! Itdeprivesthemoftheuseofthosemeanswhichreasonoffersfortheirrelief. ThefirstthingIproposedtomyselfwastothrowdownmyenclosures,andturnallmytamecattlewildintothewoods,thattheenemymightnotfindthem,andthenfrequenttheislandinprospectofthesameorthelikebooty; thentothesimplethingofdiggingupmytwocornfields,thattheymightnotfindsuchagrainthere,andstillbepromptedtofrequenttheislandthentodemolishmybowerandtent,thattheymightnotseeanyvestigesofhabitation,andbepromptedtolookfarther,inordertofindoutthepersonsinhabiting.
Thesewerethesubjectofthefirstnight’scogitation,afterIwascomehomeagain,whiletheapprehensionswhichhadsooverrunmymindwerefreshuponme,andmyheadwasfullofvapors,asabove. Thusfearofdangerisoftenthousandtimesmoreterrifyingthandangeritselfwhenapparenttotheeyes;andwefindtheburdenofanxietygreater,bymuch,thantheevilwhichweareanxiousabout; and,whichwasworsethanallthis,IhadnotthatreliefinthistroublefromtheresignationIusedtopractice,thatIhopedtohave.
