A little while after, the serpent came hissing to
the root of the tree, raised itself up against the trunk of it,
and meeting with my comrade, who sat lower than I, swallowed him
at once, and went off; I staid upon the tree till it was day, and
then came down, more like a dead man than one alive, expecting
the same fate with my two companions. This filled me with horror,
so that I was going to throw myself into the sea; but as nature
prompts us to a desire to live as long as we can, I withstood
this temptation to despair, and submitted myself to the will of
God, who disposes of our lives at pleasure.
In the mean time I gathered together a quantity of small wood,
brambles, and dry thorns, and making them up into faggots, made a
great circle with them round the tree, and tied some of them to
the branches over my head. Having done this, when the evening
came, I shut myself up within the circle, with this melancholy
piece of satisfaction, that I had neglected nothing which could
preserve me from the cruel destiny with which I was threatened.
The serpent failed not to come at the usual hour, and went round
the tree, seeking for an opportunity to devour me, but was
prevented by the rampart I had made; so that he sat till day,
like a cat watching in vain for a mouse, that has retired to a
place of safety.
Pages:
294
295
296
297
298
299
300
301
302
303
304
305
306
307
308
309
310
311
312
313
314
315
316
317
318