THE FOOTPRINT G113

 THE FOOTPRINT

One day, walking along the sands towards his boat, Crusoe saw in the sand the mark of a man's foot. He was terrified at the sight. He looked round, but could see nobody. He listened, but could hear nothing. There were no other marks. Who had made the footprint? Was there someone else on this lonely island? Was it a savage? Crusoe stared at the footprint, full of fear.

He hurried home, looking behind from time to time as he went. For some days he stayed in his cave, behind his wall. He was afraid to go out, even for food.

But no savages came, and after a time he began to go out again. His dog, which was now very old, became ill and died. This made Crusoe very sad. He now felt even more lonely without his friend, the dog.

He often thought about the footmark. Perhaps he had made it himself? He decided to go back and look again. The footprint was still there. He tried his foot in it, but it was much larger than his own. So there must be someone else on the island. Full of fear again, Crusoe returned home.

He built another fence round his cave. Now he made holes in the wall and placed his guns in them, pointing outwards.

But he still did not feel safe enough. He decided to look for another cave, where he could hide if savages came.

He found a good place in the rocks, more than twelve feet high, with a narrow entrance. He stepped into the cave. Suddenly he saw two eyes glaring at him out of the darkness. Was it a man, or a wild animal? He hurried out into the daylight.

Crusoe lit a fire and from it took a burning stick. He stepped back into the cave, holding the stick high above his head. He heard a noise, as if someone was breathing. He stopped. Nothing happened. He went farther into the cave.

On the ground lay an old sick goat, which had gone into the cave to die. It was the goat's eyes that he had seen in the darkness. As he looked at it, the goat rolled over and died.

Crusoe looked about the cave. The ground and the sides were quite dry. Inside, the top of the cave was nearly twenty feet high. It was a good hiding-place.

Crusoe had eleven guns altogether. He brought five of them to his new cave and a great deal of gun-powder. The cave was quite dark inside, so he made some candles to give light.

Now he had a safe place if the savages came. Every day he climbed to a high rock near his cave to keep watch. And so the months and years went by.

It was autumn, the time for Crusoe to gather his small harvest of corn. Early one morning, before starting work, he climbed up to his lookout.

There, on the shore, were nine savages, sitting round a fire. Nearby were two canoes in which they had come to the island. They seemed to be eating something they had cooked on the fire. Crusoe watched, full of fear.

As soon as the savages had gone, Crusoe returned home for two guns. Then he made his way down to the shore. He looked out to sea. The two canoes were almost out of sight.

He went towards the fire, which was still smoking. Among the ashes he found bones. They were not the bones of an animal, but of a human being!

Crusoe knew that the savages killed their enemies and ate them. He made up his mind to shoot them if they came again. But many months went by and no one visited the island.