Міжзірковий мандрівник
Chapter 19
Sincehumanpersonalityisagrowth,asumofallpreviousexistencesaddedtogether,whatpossibilitywasthereforWardenAthertontobreakdownmyspiritintheinquisitionofsolitary?Iamlifethatsurvived,astructurebuildedupthroughtheagesofthepast—andsuchapast!Whatweretendaysandnightsinthejackettome?—tome,whohadoncebeenDanielFoss,andforeightyearslearnedpatienceinthatschoolofrocksinthefarSouthOcean?
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AttheendofmyeighthyearontheislandinthemonthofSeptember,whenIhadjustsketchedmostambitiousplanstoraisemypyramidtosixtyfeetabovethesummitoftheisland,Iawokeonemorningtostareoutuponashipwithtopsailsabackandnearlywithinhail.ThatImightbediscovered,Iswungmyoarintheair,jumpedfromrocktorock,andwasguiltyofallmanneroflivelinessesofaction,untilIcouldseetheofficersonthequarter-decklookingatmethroughtheirspyglasses.Theyansweredbypointingtotheextremewesterlyendoftheisland,whitherIhastenedanddiscoveredtheirboatmannedbyhalfadozenmen.Itseems,asIwastolearnafterward,theshiphadbeenattractedbymypyramidandhadaltereditscoursetomakecloserexaminationofsostrangeastructurethatwasgreaterofheightthanthewildislandonwhichitstood.
Butthesurfprovedtobetoogreattopermittheboattolandonmyinhospitableshore.
