CHAPTER FOUR
THE ISLAND
Hours later; Defoe was still writing up notes when he could hear the banging of the front door and the galloping sounds of his sons coming home from school. Like wild horses they burst into his office waving school papers and shouting “Father, father, I got an A, I got an A.”
Wearily, Defoe turned at his desk as they ran all shouting at once; “Calm boys, calmly,” he put his hands up in the air indicating a downward motion.
Daniel, the first born, pushed his brother out of the way and announced “I go first, I’m the oldest,” and proceeded to proudly show his father his latest paper from writing class and Latin. Defoe made appreciative murmuring sounds and the second, Joseph then pushed back and said “My turn!” and showed off his papers covered in blotches of black ink everywhere. Defoe carefully took the paper and nodded as each child had something important to show him.
His wife swept importantly into the room and clapped her hands “Children go get washed for supper this instant!”
She grabbed Defoe by the hands and said in a whisper “You must see what I have gotten! Charles’s father is a merchant in town and has the most beautiful shop and the glass wares…….” she was babbling excitedly.
Defoe suppressed a groan as he saw both Charles and Kirk coming in from outside laden with packages. He thought about the bills upstairs. His wife went on and on “And the wools, unbelievable! We have to ready for the party next eve as the Lady Hamphireshire is entertaining and she is always dressed so beautifully!”
Defoe made the proper noises and thankfully dinner was served and he could sit down and eat.
After dinner; the children were scattered around the great room fire doing homework and Charles was helping them. Charles, aged twenty, was from a good merchant family and had had a basic education but had confided in Defoe that he had aspirations for greater things.
“Aye, I wish to study the law,” he had revealed, head down, staring at his hands.
“What does your father have to say to that? Defoe asked.
“Aye, he thinks I’m just daft and should be home keeping the shop with him. He has told me and told me a valet is no job for a man,” Charles hid his embarrassment. Defoe nodded. “But, but….Charles added, “I meet such interesting people like yourself and the people you work with and all.”
Defoe nodded; he understood. From a merchant background himself he knew what it was like to aspire to something bigger and better. His father had been a candle maker and he had had a simple academy education. Defoe had Charles help his children with their studies mostly so Charles could keep his ‘hand in’ on studying. He would lend him books from his library and encourage him to read them. “Do you think your father could afford to send you to University?” he asked Charles one day.
“Oh yes, Milord” Charles replied promptly, ‘but he wants me to take over his shop not to become some foppish clerk somewhere. Plus, I am not exactly sure I can pass the exams to get in.”
Defoe sat and thought; “No good will come of pushing the old man he thought; he will just demand Charles come home and that’s the end of that. He just needs time to get used to the idea of an educated man in the family, that’s all.”
In the meantime; Charles was enjoying himself and Defoe’s children adored him and would climb all over him constantly. Defoe took his pipe and a brandy and went back to his study; Mary and Charles would get the children to bed and he might have another hour to work on his manuscript.
Robinson Crusoe (formerly known as Robinson Kreutznaer,) was an experienced Scottish sailor on the way to Africa to bring back slaves to Europe when his ship was caught in a massive storm off the coast of Venezuela. The ship sank and all hands were lost save him, a dog and two cats. Crusoe, a good swimmer, swam to shore and collapsed after his ordeal. The next day he awoke to find himself very much alone with the animals and bits of the ship floating to shore.
The first thing he did that day was to get on his knees and thank the Almighty for saving him and allowing him to be unharmed from the shipwreck. He spent much of that day and days following; looking for any of his companions that may have survived the wreak. Alas, t’was not to be. He slowly came to the realization that he was the only survivor. Sadly he begun looking for shelter on the island and found a small cave a little inland.
He had provisions from the ship to include a gun and gun powder, his bible and some clothes, tools, a small amount of liquor and other oddments that kept floating ashore. He laid his things out to dry; which they did quickly in the sun and began to explore the island, his new home.
The dog was quick to hunt out a wild boar and Robinson shot the beast and dragged it back to the cave. He dressed the pig with his knife and placed it over rocks and made a small fire and cooked it. Although it took many hours to get done; Robinson felt the reward of waiting was worth it. Fresh meat was not something he was very used to; particularly after shipboard food. It was delicious and he and the dog and the cats ate their fill.
The remainder he cut into strips and left on large rocks to dry. He was to learn later, that was a big mistake. Large rats invaded his little camp and made off with every remaining morsel. The cats sounded the alarm but by the time Robinson had awakened, it was too late and their hard-won provisions were gone.
He realized it would have to create some system to string up meats off the ground so that the rats could not get to them.
The next day found him back down on the beach trudging through the water and sand walking up and down looking for something. After sometime, he grabbed it. Aha! He was in luck! It was two lengths of rope used on the outside of the ship with round metal plates secures around each. The metal plates were to keep the rats from traveling up the ropes and jumping on the ship.
Robinson took his finds back to camp and strung them tightly between trees. “This should stop the vermin!” he thought in triumph to himself.
Life went on for Crusoe. He became tan and healthy from the clean air and sunshine. He felt more fit than ever before in his life with the constant walking and running around the island. His greatest sorrow was the complete lack of human company. He remembered so well; cursing the cramped quarters aboard deck. But how much he missed the whist games, gambling, drinking beer with his mates and just generally being in each other’s company. He had the dog but it just wasn’t the same.
It was with a happy heart then the day he saw some small boats pulled up on the beach close to his cave. “At last,” he almost shouted. However; being a naturally cautious man, he thought it best to check out the new visitors to the island prior to making himself known. He tied the dog up at the cave so that he would not follow and bark and shooed the cats away.
He armed himself with his handmade spear and the rifle and went carefully to where he thought the visitors might be. He was shocked by what he saw.
Crusoe hid behind some trees and saw in his horror that the natives who were visiting the island are cannibals and have taken prisoners who they proceed to kill prior to eating them. Having heard stories from other sailors, he recognized them for what they were and was sickened by the sight of it. Since there were so many of them and only one of him; he quietly withdrew back to his cave to consider what to do.
“Should I kill them outright for this sin they are committing?” He didn’t know. He is not even sure that he would be able to do so all on his own. Crusoe remained hidden for the rest of that day and snuck back to the camp site of the natives; he saw that they have finished their ‘ceremony’ and are leaving. He watches them go with dread in his heart.
He realized that should they ever catch him; he could become their next meal. He decided to create an alarms of sorts around his camp so as to not be surprised while he was sleeping. He found bamboo on the island and chopped it into short sticks which he dried and then hung up in the trees. Placed close together, they just swayed in the breeze and lightly tapped each other. However; if disturbed by a person, they would make a loud rattling sound. Crusoe felt satisfied with his addition to his camp.
He continued to go down to the beach on a regular basis; hoping, always hoping for rescue back to England and thence onward back to his homeland in Scotland.