"Children's Books - Defoe, Daniel - Robinson Crusoe" - читать интересную книгу автора (Children's Books)

we saw vast great creatures (we knew not what to call them) of many
sorts come down to the sea-shore and run into the water, wallowing and
washing themselves for the pleasure of cooling themselves; and they
made such hideous howlings and yellings, that I never indeed heard the
like.
Xury was dreadfully frightened, and indeed so was I too; but we were
both more frighted when we heard one of these mighty creatures come
swimming towards our boat; we could not see him, but we might hear him
by his blowing to be a monstrous huge and furious beast. Xury said
it was a lion, and it might be so for aught I know; but poor Xury
cried to me to weigh the anchor and row away. "No," says I, "Xury;
we can slip our cable with the buoy to it, and go off to sea; they
cannot follow us far." I had no sooner said so, but I perceived the
creature (whatever it was) within two oars' length, which something
surprised me; however, I immediately stepped to the cabin door, and
taking up my gun, fired at him, upon which he immediately turned about
and swam towards the shore again.
But is is impossible to describe the horrible noises, and hideous
cries and howlings, that were raised, as well upon the edge of the
shore as higher within the country, upon the noise or report of the
gun, a thing I have some reason to believe those creatures had never
heard before. This convinced me that there was no going on shore for
us in the night upon that coast; and how to venture on shore in the
day was another question too; for to have fallen into the hands of any
of the savages, had been as bad as to have fallen into the hands of
lions and tigers; at least we were equally apprehensive of the
danger of it.
Be that as it would, we were obliged to go on shore somewhere or
other for water, for we had not a pint left in the boat; when or where
to get to it, was the point. Xury said if I would let him go on
shore with one the jars, he would find if there was any water, and
bring some to me. I asked him why he should go? Why I should not go
and he stay in the boat? The boy answered with so much affection, that
made me love him ever after. Says he, "If wild mans come, they eat me,
you go way." "Well, Xury," said I, "we will both go; and if the wild
mans come, we will kill them, they shall eat neither of us." So I gave
Xury a piece of rusk bread to eat, and a dram out of our patron's case
of bottles which I mentioned before; and we hauled in the boat as near
the shore as we thought was proper, and so waded on shore, carrying
nothing but our arms and two jars for water.
I did not care to go out of sight of the boat, fearing the coming of
canoes with savages down the river; but the boy seeing a low place
about a mile up the country, rambled to it; and by and by I saw him
come running towards me. I thought he was pursued by some savage, or
frighted with some wild beast, and I ran forward towards him to help
him; but when I came nearer to him, I saw something hanging over his
shoulders, which was a creature that he had shot, like a hare, but
different in color, and longer legs. However, we were very glad of it,
and it was very good meat; but the great joy that poor Xury came
with was to tell me he had found good water, and seen no wild mans.