Fiction > Book editions > Leipzig, 1888 - Kidnapped

126 KIDNAPPED.
I
could not reach the yard; and now, the second time,
when these fishers turned a deaf ear to my cries. But
this time I wept and roared hke a Vvdcked child, tear-
ing up the turf with my nails and grinding my face in
the earth. If a wish would kill men, those two fishers
would never have seen morning, and I should likely
have died upon my island.
When I was a little over my anger, I must eat again,
but with such loathing of the mess as I could now
scarce control. Sure enough, 1 should have done as
well to fast, for my fishes poisoned me again. I had
all my first pains; my throat was so sore I could scarce
swallow; I had a fit of strong shuddering, which clucked
my teeth together; and there came on me that dreadful
sense of illness, which we have no name for either in
Scotch or English. I thought I should have died, and
made my peace with God, forgiving all men, even my
uncle and the fishers; and as soon as I had thus made
up my mind to the worst, clearness came upon me: I
observed the night was falling dry; my clothes were
dried a good deal; truly, I was in a better case than
ever before, since I had landed on the isle; and so I
got to sleep at last, with a thought of gratitude.
The next day (which was the fourth of this horrible
life of mine) I found my bodily strength run very low.
But the sun shone, the air was sweet, and what I
managed to eat of the shell-fish agreed well with me
and revived my courage.
I was scarce back on my rock (where I went always
the first thing after I had eaten) before I observed a
boat coming down the Sound, and with her head, as I
thought, in my direction.