CRUSOE’S POSSESSIONS. 107

creature like a wild cat upon one of the chests, which, when I came
towards it, ran away a little distance, and then stood still. She sat
very composed and unconcerned, and looked full in my face, as if
she had a mind to be acquainted with me. I presented my gun at
her, but as she did not understand it, she was perfectly uncon-
cerned at it, nor did she offer to stir away. Upon which I tossed
her a bit of biscuit—though, by the way, I was not very free of it,
for my store was not great. However, I spared her a bit, I say,
and. she went to it, smelled of it, and ate it, and looked, as pleased,
for more; but I thanked her, and could spare no more. So she
marched off.

Having got my second cargo on shore, though I was fain to
open the barrels of powder, and bring them by parcels—for they
were too heavy, being large casks—I went to work to make me a
little tent with the sail and some poles which I cut for that pur-
pose ; and into this tent I brought everything that I knew would
spoil either with rain or sun, and 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 beast.

When I had done this, I blocked up the door of the tent with
some boards within, and an empty chest set up an end without,
and 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, and slept very quietly all night, for I was
very weary and heavy ; for the night before I had slept little, and
had laboured very hard all day, as well to fetch all those things
from the ship as to get them on shore.

T had the biggest magazine of all kinds now that ever were laid
up, I believe, for one man; but I was not satisfied still, for while
the ship sat upright in that posture, I thought I ought to get
everything out of her that I could; so every day at low water I
went on board, and brought away some thing or other. But par-
ticularly the third time I went I brought away as much of the
rigging as I could, as also all the small ropes and rope-twine I
could get, with a piece of spare canvas, which was to mend the
sails upon occasion, the barrel of wet gunpowder; in a word, I
brought away all the sails first and last, only that I was fain to