A Yankee Crusoe (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1900 Excerpt: ...eaten nothing since early in the morning. The pigs continued to remain on guard, the boar now and then getting up and regarding me contemplatively, until the sun sank behind the forest. Then the pigs moved away into the grass. It was soon dark, and the moon, which was near its full, came up over the mountains; but I was not long able to distinguish the movements of the pigs in the uncertain moonlight. Patiently I waited, until the moon was directly over the clearing. There was no sound of the pigs, and, after a little, I slid to the ground and, cautiously gathering up my gun and provision bag, moved noiselessly away into the bush. The moonlight favored me, and I hurried on for several miles, when I was brought to a halt by a small stream. Feeling safe from the pigs, I decided to camp here until daylight. I did not dare make a fire, so, after satisfying hunger with a portion of a pigeon which I had roasted before setting out, and an orange, I sat down by a large tree and, leaning against the trunk, was soon asleep. CHAPTER XII. Return to the Coast; A Mangrove Swamp; Fever. When I awoke it was morning, and the sun. was fully an hour up. Taking a hasty bath in the cool water of the stream, and after a hurried meal, crossing the stream on the stones that were not submerged, I set off along the east bank. The stream flowed in a northerly direction. By keeping close to the edge of the forest I made rapid progress. Nothing occurred to distract my attention, except the sight of a small flock of pigeons, one of which I killed. I encamped for the night in the edge of a thicket, and made a fire to roast the bird which I plucked while waiting for a bed of coals. At daylight in the morning I continued my course down the stream which was now much wider and deeper. Its ed...