Oliver Optic

“ I dare say this was Trip’s notion of their next move,—that Robert should get upon the raft, and make his way home as fast as he could.
“We won’t do any thing of the sort, Trip. Do you think I’m going home again? [74] No, sir. I’m Robinson Crusoe, Jr.”
“Bow, wow,” replied Trip; which, being interpreted, undoubtedly meant, “Do come along, master. Let us go home.”
“No, you don’t,” said Robert. “Wouldn’t the fellows laugh at me if they should find me coming back now! I’ll tell you what we’ll do, Trip. We can take the boards [75] in the raft and use them to build a house. That is just the idea. ”

“ What would you do, Robert, when the Indians came to the island?”
“I would do just as Robinson Crusoe did. I would [20] shoot as many of them as I could. I would catch one of them, and make him be my Man Friday.”
“Suppose they should happen to shoot you instead; and then broil you for their supper? Don’t you think you would ‘make a dainty dish to set before the king’?”
“I am certain that I could get along just as well as Robinson Crusoe did.”
[21] “Perhaps not; every one don’t get out of a scrape as easily as Robinson Crusoe did. ”

“ This did not hurt the raft any; but pussy, who had kept both of her sharp eyes fixed upon the land all the time, no sooner saw the vessel touch, than she improved her chance and jumped ashore.
“Pussy, pussy, pussy,” called Robert, when he saw that one of his companions had given him the slip.
It was of no use to call her, for she was scampering away [58] as fast as her nimble feet would carry her in the direction of home. She had no idea of sharing the fortunes of Mr. Robinson Crusoe, Jr., on his lonely island.
“That’s real mean—isn’t it, Trip?” said he, as he turned to the dog. ”

“ Trip wagged his tail, and did not seem to be at all concerned about the future. No doubt he felt able to swim to the main shore.
“But I’m not going to back out now, I can tell you, Trip. I’m going to have a time of it, any how. When I get [80] back, if I ever do go back, I want to tell the fellows I enjoyed it first rate, and then they can’t laugh at me.” ”

“ On their return they went nearer to the island, and their cries had roused him from his uneasy slumber. Robert heard [93] them call his name, and his fears vanished.
“Halloo!” he shouted in reply.
“Where are you?” asked one of the men in the boat.
“On the island.”
In a moment more, the boat touched the shore, where Robinson Crusoe, Jr., shivering with cold, was waiting for them.
“What in the world are [94] you doing here? Where is your raft?” asked Mr. Green, who was in the boat.
“I pulled it to pieces, for I meant to stay here and be a Robinson Crusoe,” answered Robert. ”

“ The book tells how Robinson Crusoe lived on the island, what he had to eat, and how he obtained it; how [12] he built a boat, and could not get it into the water, and then built another, and did get it into the water; about his dog and goats, his cat and his parrots, and his Man Friday.
The poor man lived alone for a long time, and most of us would think he could not have been very happy, away from his country and friends, with no one to speak to but his cat and goats, and his Man [13] Friday, and none of them could understand him.
Robert Gray didn’t think so. ”

“ Robert did not heed her objections; and what do you think he did with poor pussy? Why, he put her in the box with the crackers and gingerbread and cheese! Trip, having a decided taste for the water, did not object to going upon the raft. Yet, judging [42] from the way he looked up into his master’s face, he wondered what was “in the wind,” and what big thing was going to be done.
“Now, Trip, we are all ready for a start,” said Robert, as he stepped upon the raft. “You needn’t scratch and cry so, pussy. Nobody is going to hurt you.” ”

“ Robert’s sister was glad enough to see him, so she did not scold him much; but for a long time afterwards the boys in the village called him Robinson Crusoe, Jr.
He never wanted to live on a desolate island again, and said no more about trying [96] to catch a Man Friday. On the contrary, the adventure caused him to love his parents and his home more than ever before. ”

“ Opening the box, he took out some crackers and cheese; and while he ate himself, he gave Trip his full share. Robert had worked hard, and was very hungry; and Trip, [81] like any other dog, was always hungry. The dinner they ate, therefore, made a large hole in the stock of food. ”

“ He was born on the Fourth of July, which may be the reason why he was so smart, though I do not think it was. He could make boxes and [9] carts, windmills and water-wheels, and ever so many other things. ”

“ After breakfast, he took twenty cents which he had saved towards buying a book called The Swiss Family Robinson, which Frank Lee told him was something like Robinson [37] Crusoe, and went to the grocery store to buy some provisions. ”