Read Online The Eerie Adventures of the Lycanthrope Robinson Crusoe by Peter Clines - Free Book Online

abundance of fowls, but knew not their kinds. Neither when I killed them could I tell what was fit for food and what not. At my coming back, I shot at a great bird which I saw sitting upon a tree on the side of a great wood. I believe it was the first gun that had been fired there since the creation of the world. I had no sooner fired but from all the parts of the wood there arose an innumerable number of fowls, of many sorts, making a confused screaming and crying, every one according to his usual note. As for the creature I killed, I took it to be a kind of a hawk, its colour and beak resembling it, but had no talons or claws more than common. Its flesh was carrion and fit for nothing.
    Contented with this discovery, I came back to my raft, and fell to work to bring my cargo on shore, which took me up the rest of that day. What to do with it for this last night of the moon I knew not, nor indeed where to rest it. I was afraid to leave my cargo too reveal’d, for the beast had in the past committed wanton destruction of the things of men for no discernable reason.
    As well I could, I made a solid form with the chests and boards I had brought on shore, and made a kind of a wall for that night. As for food, I yet saw not which way to supply myself, except I had seen two or three creatures, like hares, run out of the wood where I shot the fowl. I knew for a certainty if there were food on this island, the beast would find more of it.
    I remov'd my cloathes as the sun dropped and stowed them within one of the seamen's chests. As the beast came upon me, I could not help but sense its pleasure to still be unchayn'd and free in its new home. That night it kill'd two of the hares and feasted well on something larger, tho' I could not tell what.
    On the morrow, I now began to consider I might yet get a great many things out of the ship which would be useful to me, and particularly some of the rigging and sails, and such other things as might come to land. I resolv’d to make another voyage on board the vessel, if possible. And as I knew the first storm that blew must break her all in pieces, I resolv’d to set all other things apart ‘till I got every thing out of the ship I could get. Then I called a council in my thoughts as to whether I should take back the raft, but this appeared impracticable. I resolv’d to go as before, when the tyde was down, and I did so, having nothing on but a chequered shirt, a pair of linen drawers, and a pair of pumps on my feet.
    I got on board the ship as before, and prepared a second raft. Having had experience of the first, I neither made this so unwieldy nor loaded it so hard, but yet I brought away several things very useful to me. First, in the carpenter's stores, I found two or three bags of nails and spikes, a dozen or two of hatchets, and above all, that most useful thing called a grind-stone. All these I secured together, with several things belonging to the gunner, particularly two or three iron crows, two barrels of musket bullets, seven muskets, and a large bag-full of small shot.
    Besides these things, I took all the men's cloathes I could find, and a spare fore-top sail, a hammock, and some bedding. With this I loaded my second raft and brought them all safe on shore, to my very great comfort.
    Having got my second cargo on shore I went to work to make me a little tent with the sail, and some poles which I cut for that purpose. Into this tent I brought every thing I knew would spoil either with rain or sun. I piled all the empty chests and casks up in a circle round the tent, to fortify it from any sudden attempt either from man or animal.
    When I had done this, I blocked up the door of the tent with some boards within and an empty chest set up on end without. Spreading one of the beds upon the ground, laying my two pistols just at my head, and my gun at length by me, I went to bed for the first time since the shipwreck and slept very quietly all night, for I was very weary and