Робінзон Крузо
A Cave Retreat
Time,however,andthesatisfactionIhadthatIwasinnodangerofbeingdiscoveredbythesepeople,begantowearoffmyuneasinessaboutthem; andIbegantolivejustinthesamecomposedmannerasbefore;onlywiththisdifference,thatIusedmorecaution,andkeptmyeyesmoreaboutme,thanIdidbefore,lestIshouldhappentobeseenbyanyofthem; andparticularly,Iwasmorecautiousoffiringmygun,lestanyofthembeingontheislandshouldhappentohearofit. Anditwas,therefore,averygoodprovidencetomethatIhadfurnishedmyselfwithatamebreedofgoats,thatneedednothuntanymoreaboutthewoods,orshootatthem. AndifIdidcatchanyofthemafterthis,itwasbytrapsandsnares,andIhaddonebefore;sothatfortwoyearsafterthisIbelieveIneverfiredmygunonceoff,thoughIneverwentoutwithoutit; and,whichwasmore,asIhadsavedthreepistolsoutoftheship,Ialwayscarriedthemoutwithme,oratleasttwoofthem,stickingtheminmygoat-skinbelt.AlsoIfurbisheduponeofthegreatcutlassesthatIhadoutoftheship,andmademeabelttoputitonalso; sothatIwasnowamostformidablefellowtolookatwhenIwentabroad,ifyouaddtotheformerdescriptionofmyselftheparticularoftwopistolsandagreatbroadswordhangingatmysideinabelt,butwithoutascabbard.
Thingsgoingonthus,asIhavesaid,forsometime,Iseemed,exceptingthesecautions,tobereducedtomyformercalm,sedatewayofliving. Allthesethingstendedtoshowingme,moreandmore,howfarmyconditionwasfrombeingmiserable,comparedtosomeothers;nay,tomanyotherparticularsoflife,whichitmighthavepleasedGodtohavemademylot. Itputmeuponreflectinghowlittlerepiningtherewouldbeamongmankindatanyconditionoflife,ifpeoplewouldrathercomparetheirconditionwiththosethatareworse,inordertobethankful,thanbealwayscomparingthemwiththosewhicharebetter,toassisttheirmurmuringsandcomplainings.
