RobinsonCrusoecouldnothavebeenmorestartledatthefootprintinthesandthanwewereatthisunwelcomediscovery。Myfirstimpulsewastomakeasrapidaretreataspossible，andbendourstepsinsomeotherdirection；butourcuriositytoseewhitherthispathmightlead，promptedustopursueit。Soonwewent，thetrackbecomingmoreandmorevisiblethefartherweproceeded，untilitconductedustothevergeoftheravine，whereitabruptlyterminated。
“Andso，“saidToby，peeringdownintothechasm，“everyonethattravelsthispathtakesajumphere，eh？“
“Notso，“saidI，“forIthinktheymightmanagetodescendwithoutit；whatsayyou，-shallweattemptthefeat？“
“Andwhat，inthenameofcavesandcoal-holes，doyouexpecttofindatthebottomofthatgulfbutabrokenneck-why，itlooksblackerthanourship’shold，andtheroarofthosewaterfallsdowntherewouldbatterone’sbrainstopieces。“
“Oh，no，Toby，“Iexclaimed，laughing；“butthere’ssomethingtobeseenhere，that’splain，ortherewouldhavebeennopath，andIamresolvedtofindoutwhatitis。“
“Iwilltellyouwhat，mypleasantfellow，“rejoinedToby，quickly，“ifyouaregoingtopryintoeverythingyoumeetwithherethatexcitesyourcuriosity，youwillmarvellouslysoongetknockedonthehead；toadeadcertaintyyouwillcomebanguponapartyofthesesavagesinthemidstofyourdiscovery-makings，andIdoubtwhethersuchaneventwouldparticularlydelightyou。Justtakemyadviceforonce，andletus’boutshipandsteerinsomeotherdirection；
besides，it’sgettinglate，andweoughttobemooringourselvesforthenight。“
“ThatisjustthethingIhavebeendrivingat，“repliedI；“andI
amthinkingthatthisravinewillexactlyanswerourpurpose，foritisroomy，secluded，wellwatered，andmayshelterusfromtheweather。“
“Ay，andfromsleeptoo，andbythesametokenwillgiveussorethroats，andrheumatismsintothebargain，“criedToby，withevidentdislikeattheidea。
“Oh，verywellthen，mylad，“saidI，“sinceyouwillnotaccompanyme，hereIgo，alone。Youwillseemeinthemorning“；andadvancingtotheedgeofthecliffuponwhichwehadbeenstanding，Iproceededtolowermyselfdownbythetangledrootswhichclusteredaboutallthecrevicesoftherock。AsIhadanticipated，Toby，inspiteofhispreviousremonstrances，followedmyexample，anddroppinghimselfwiththeactivityofasquirrelfrompointtopoint，hequicklyoutstrippedme，andeffectedalandingatthebottombeforeIhadaccomplishedtwo-thirdsofthedescent。
Thesightthatnowgreeteduswasonethatwilleverbevividlyimpresseduponmymind。Fivefoamingstreams，rushingthroughasmanygorges，andswelledandturbidbytherecentrains，unitedtogetherinonemadplungeofnearlyeightyfeet，andfellwithwilduproarintoadeepblackpoolscoopedoutofthegloomy-lookingrocksthatlaypiledaround，andthenceinonecollectedbodydasheddownanarrowslopingchannelwhichseemedtopenetrateintotheverybowelsoftheearth。Overhead，vastrootsoftreeshungdownfromthesidesoftheravine，drippingwithmoisture，andtremblingwiththeconcussionsproducedbythefall。Itwasnowsunset，andthefeebleuncertainlightthatfounditswayintothesecavernsandwoodydepthsheightenedtheirstrangeappearance，andremindedusthatinashorttimeweshouldfindourselvesinutterdarkness。
AssoonasIhadsatisfiedmycuriositybygazingatthisscene，I
felltowonderinghowitwasthatwhatwehadtakenforapathshouldhaveconductedustososingularaplace，andbegantosuspectthatafterallImighthavebeendeceivedinsupposingittohavebeenatrackformedbytheislanders。Thiswasratheranagreeablereflectionthanotherwise，foritdiminishedourdreadofaccidentallymeetingwithanyofthem，andIcametotheconclusionthatperhapswecouldnothaveselectedamoresecurehiding-placethanthisveryspotwehadsoaccidentallyhitupon。Tobyagreedwithmeinthisviewofthematter，andweimmediatelybegangatheringtogetherthelimbsoftreeswhichlayscatteredabout，withtheviewofconstructingatemporaryhutforthenight。Thiswewereobligedtobuildclosetothefootofthecataract，forthecurrentofwaterextendedverynearlytothesidesofthegorge。Thefewmomentsoflightthatremainedweemployedincoveringourhutwithaspeciesofbroad-bladedgrassthatgrewineveryfissureoftheravine。Ourhut，ifitdeservedtobecalledone，consistedofsixoreightofthestraightestbrancheswecouldfindlaidobliquelyagainstthesteepwallofrock，withtheirlowerendswithinafootofthestream。
Intothespacethuscoveredoverwemanagedtocrawl，anddisposeourweariedbodiesasbestwecould。
ShallIeverforgetthathorridnight！AsforpoorToby，Icouldscarcelygetawordoutofhim。Itwouldhavebeensomeconsolationtohaveheardhisvoice，buthelayshiveringthelive-longnightlikeamanafflictedwiththepalsy，withhiskneesdrawnuptohishead，whilehisbackwassupportedagainstthedrippingsideoftherock。
Duringthiswretchednightthereseemednothingwantingtocompletetheperfectmiseryofourcondition。Theraindescendedinsuchtorrentsthatourpoorshelterprovedameremockery。InvaindidI
trytoeludetheincessantstreamsthatpoureduponme；byprotectingonepartIonlyexposedanother，andthewaterwascontinuallyfindingsomenewopeningthroughwhichtodrenchus。
Ihavehadmanyaduckinginthecourseofmylife，andingeneralcaredlittleaboutit:buttheaccumulatedhorrorsofthatnight，thedeath-likecoldnessoftheplace，theappallingdarknessandthedismalsenseofourforlorncondition，almostunmannedme。
Itwillnotbedoubtedthatthenextmorningwewereearlyrisers，andassoonasIcouldcatchthefaintestglimpseofanythinglikedaylightIshookmycompanionbythearm，andtoldhimitwassunrise。
PoorTobylifteduphishead，andafteramoment’spausesaid，inahuskyvoice，“Then，shipmate，mytoplightshavegoneout，foritappearsdarkernowwithmyeyesopenthanitdidwhentheywereshut。“
“Nonsense！“exclaimedI；“youarenotawakeyet。“
“Awake！“roaredToby，inarage；“awake！YoumeantoinsinuateI’vebeenasleep，doyou？Itisaninsulttoamantosupposehecouldsleepinsuchaplaceasthis。“
BythetimeIhadapologizedtomyfriendforhavingmisconstruedhissilence，ithadbecomesomewhatmorelight，andwecrawledoutofourlair。Therainhadceased，buteverythingarounduswasdrippingwithmoisture。Westrippedoffoursaturatedgarments，andwrungthemasdryaswecould。Wecontrivedtomakethebloodcirculateinourbenumbedlimbsbyrubbingthemvigorouslywithourhands；andafterperformingourablutionsinthestream，andputtingonourstillwetclothes，webegantotitadvisabletobreakourlongfast，itbeingnowtwenty-fourhourssincewehadtastedfood。
Accordingly，ourday’srationwasbroughtout，andseatingourselvesonadetachedfragmentofrock，weproceededtodiscussit。Firstwedivideditintotwoequalportions，andcarefullyrollingoneofthemupforourevening’srepast，dividedtheremainderagainasequallyaspossible，andthendrewlotsforthefirstchoice。I
couldhaveplacedthemorselthatfelltomyshareuponthetipofmyfinger；butnotwithstandingthis，ItookcarethatitshouldbefulltenminutesbeforeIhadswallowedthelastcrumb。Whatatruesayingitisthat“appetitefurnishesthebestsauce“！Therewasaflavourandarelishtothissmallparticleoffoodthat，underothercircumstances，itwouldhavebeenimpossibleforthemostdelicateviandstohaveimparted。Acopiousdraughtofthepurewaterwhichflowedatourfeetservedtocompletethemeal，andafteritwerosesensiblyrefreshed，andpreparedforwhatevermightbefallus。
Wenowcarefullyexaminedthechasminwhichwehadpassedthenight。Wecrossedthestream，andgainingthefarthersideofthepoolIhavementioned，discoveredproofsthatthespotmusthavebeenvisitedbysomeonebutashorttimeprevioustoourarrival。
Furtherobservationconvincedusthatithadbeenregularlyfrequented，and，asweafterwardsconjecturedfromparticularindications，forthepurposeofobtainingacertainroot，fromwhichthenativesobtainedakindofointment。
Thesediscoveriesimmediatelydeterminedustoabandonaplacewhichhadpresentednoinducementforustoremain，exceptthepromiseofsecurity；andaswelookedaboutusforthemeansofascendingagainintotheupperregions，weatlastfoundapracticablepartoftherock，andhalf-an-hour’stoilcarriedustothesummitofthesameclifffromwhichtheprecedingeveningwehaddescended。
InowproposedtoTobythatinsteadoframblingabouttheisland，exposingourselvestodiscoveryateveryturn，weshouldselectsomeplaceasourfixedabodeforaslongaperiodasourfoodshouldholdout，buildourselvesacomfortablehut，andbeasprudentandcircumspectaspossible。Toallthismycompanionassented，andweatoncesetaboutcarryingtheplanintoexecution。
Withthisview，afterexploringwithoutsuccessalittleglennearus，wecrossedseveraloftheridgesofwhichIhavebeforespoken；
andaboutnoonfoundourselvesascendingalongandgraduallyrisingslope，butstillwithouthavingdiscoveredanyplaceadaptedtoourpurpose。Lowandheavycloudsbetokenedanapproachingstorm，andwehurriedontogainacovertinaclumpofthickwhichappearedtoterminatethelongascent。Wethrewourselvesundertheleeofthesebushes，andpullingupthelonggrassthatgrewaround，coveredourselvescompletelywithit，andawaitedtheshower。
Butitdidnotcomeassoonaswehadexpected，andbeforemanyminutesmycompanionwasfastasleep，andIwasrapidlyfallingintothesamestateofhappyforgetfulness。Justatthisjuncture，however，downcametherainwithaviolencethatputallthoughtsofslumbertoflight。Althoughinsomemeasuresheltered，ourclothessoonbecameaswetasever；this，afterallthetroublewehadtakentodrythem，wasprovokingenough:buttherewasnohelpforit；andIrecommendalladventurousyouthswhoabandonvesselsinromanticislandsduringtherainyseason，toprovidethemselveswithumbrellas。
Afteranhourorsotheshowerpassedaway。Mycompanionsleptthroughitall，orleastappearedsotodo；andnowthatitwasoverI
hadnotthehearttoawakenhim。AsIlayonmybackcompletelyshroudedwithverdure，theleafybranchesdroopingoverme，andmylimbsburiedingrass，Icouldnotavoidcomparingoursituationwiththatoftheinterestingbabesinthewood。Poorlittlesufferers！-nowondertheirconstitutionsbrokedownunderthehardshipstowhichtheywereexposed。
Duringthehourortwospentundertheshelterofthesebushes，IbegantofeelsymptomswhichIatonceattributedtotheexposureoftheprecedingnight。Coldshiveringsandaburningfeversucceededoneanotheratintervals，whileoneofmylegswasswelledtosuchadegree，andpainedmesoacutely，thatIhalfsuspectedIhadbeenbittenbysomevenomousreptile，thecongenialinhabitantofthechasmfromwhichwehadlatelyemerged。Imayhereremarkbytheway-whatI