Робінзон Крузо
A Cave Retreat
SoIkeptatmycastleonlyfive,whichstoodready-mounted,likepiecesofcannon,onmyoutmostfence;andwerereadyalsototakeoutuponanyexpedition.
Uponthisoccasionofremovingmyammunition,Itookoccasiontoopenthebarrelofpowder,whichItookupoutofthesea,andwhichhadbeenwet; andIfoundthatthewaterhadpenetratedaboutthreeoffourinchesintothepowderoneveryside,whichcaking,andgrowinghard,hadpreservedtheinsidelikeakernelinashell; sothatIhadnearsixtypoundsofverygoodpowderinthecentreofthecask. Andthiswasanagreeablediscoverytomeatthattime; soIcarriedallawaythither,neverkeepingabovetwoorthreepoundsofpowderwithmeinmycastle,forfearofasurpriseofanykind. IalsocarriedthitheralltheleadIhadleftforbullets.
Ifanciedmyselfnowlikeoneoftheancientgiants,whichweresaidtoliveincavesandholesintherocks,wherenonecouldcomeatthem; forIpersuadedmyself,whileIwashere,iffivehundredsavagesweretohuntme,theycouldneverfindmeout; or,iftheydid,theywouldnotventuretoattackmehere.
Theoldgoat,whomIfoundexpiring,diedinthemouthofthecavethenextdayafterImadethisdiscovery; andIfounditmucheasiertodigagreatholethere,andthrowhiminandcoverhimwithearth,thantodraghimout;soIinterredhimthere,topreventtheoffencetomynose.
