10. By this time, the blaze of the fire was beyond our sight, although the ground was burning in many places, and it was dangerous to go amongst the burnt trees. After resting awhile, we prepared to commence our march. Taking up the child, I led the way over the hot ground and rocks; and after two weary days and nights, during which we shifted in the best manner we could, we at last reached the hard woods, which had been free from the fire. Soon after we came to a house, where we were kindly treated. Since then, I have worked hard and constantly as a lumberman; and, thanks to God, we are safe, sound, and happy!

Audubon. smoul-der-ing

dis'-mal

rem'-e-died

neigh'-bours in-suf-fer-a-ble

re-flect'-ed, thrown back.

con-ster-na'-tion, alarm.

tract'-a-ble, easily managed.

pre-dic-a-ment, case.

at'-mos-phere, air.

de-voured'

scorch'-ing

EXERCISES.-1. Make adjectives from the following adjectives: Possible, two (twofold), tractable, aware, sensible, grateful, sufferable, manly, weary, happy, patient.

2. Make verbs from the following verbs: Manage, mount, produce, fill, press, come, take.

3. Make adjectives from the following nouns: Wood, child, moment, fright, death, atmosphere, terror, hunger.

4. Make sentences of your own, and use in each sentence one or more of the following words: Tractable, despair, exhausted.

ROBINSON CRUSOE'S RAFT-I.

[In the story of Robinson Crusoe, which was written by Daniel Defoe in 1719, we are told how a man of that name, who was fond of an adventurous life, was shipwrecked during one of his voyages. All who sailed with him were drowned; and he was cast on an island which he found to be without a single inhabitant. Returning at low water to the ship, he constructed a raft, upon which he carried ashore many useful things from the wreck.]

1. My raft was now strong enough to bear any reasonable weight. My next care was what to load it with, and how to preserve what I laid upon it from the surf of the sea; but I was not long considering this. I first laid all the planks or boards upon it that I could get, and having considered well what I most wanted, I first got three of the seamen's chests, which I had broken open and emptied, and lowered them down upon my raft. The first of these I filled with provisions, namely, bread, rice, three Dutch cheeses, five pieces of dried goat's flesh, which we lived much upon, and a little remainder of European corn, which had been laid by for some fowls which we brought to sea with us; but the fowls were killed. There had been some barley and wheat together, but to my great disappointment, I found afterwards that the rats had eaten or spoiled it all.

2. While I was doing this, I found the tide began to flow, though very calm, and I had the mortification to see my coat, shirt, and waistcoat, which I had left on shore upon the sand, swim away. This put me upon rummaging for clothes, of which I found enough, but took no more than I wanted for present

use, for I had other things which my eye was more upon: as, first, tools to work with on shore; and it was after long searching that I found out the

carpenter's chest, which was indeed a very useful prize to me, and much more valuable than a shipload of gold would have been at that time. I got it down to my raft, even whole as it was, without

losing time to look into it, for I knew in general what it contained.

arms.

3. My next care was for some ammunition and There were two very good fowling-pieces in the great cabin, and two pistols: these I secured first, with some powder-horns, and a small bag of shot, and two old rusty swords. I knew there were three barrels of powder in the ship, but knew not where our gunner had stowed them; but with much search I found them, two of them dry and good, the third had taken water; those two I got to my raft, with the arms. And now I thought myself pretty well freighted, and began to think how I should get to shore with them, having neither sail, oar, nor rudder, and the least capful of wind would have overset all my navigation.

4. I had three encouragements: (1) a smooth, calm sea; (2) the tide rising, and setting into the shore; (3) what little wind there was blew me toward the land. And thus, having found two or three broken oars belonging to the boat, and, besides the tools which were in the chest, I found two saws, an axe, and a hammer; and with this cargo I put to sea. For a mile, or thereabouts, my raft went very well, only that I found it drive a little distant from the place where I had landed before; by which I perceived that there was some indraft of the water, and, consequently, I hoped to find some creek or river there, which I might make use of as a port to get to land with my cargo.

5. As I imagined, so it was there appeared before me a little opening of the land, and I found a strong

current of the tide set into it, so I guided my raft as well as I could to keep in the middle of the stream. But here I had like to have suffered a second shipwreck, which, if I had, I think verily would have broke my heart; for, knowing nothing of the coast, my raft ran aground at one end of it upon a shoal, and, not being aground at the other end, it wanted but a little that all my cargo had slipped off towards that end that was afloat, and so fallen into the water.

6. I did my utmost, by setting my back against the chests, to keep them in their places, but could not thrust off the raft with all my strength. Neither durst I stir from the posture I was in, but, holding up the chests with all my might, stood in that manner near half an hour, in which time the rising of the water brought me a little more upon a level. And, a little after, the water still rising, my raft floated again, and I thrust her off with the oar I had into the channel; and then, driving up higher, I at length found myself in the mouth of a little river, with land on both sides, and a strong current, or tide, running up. I looked on both sides for a proper place to get to shore; for I was not willing to be driven too high up the river, hoping, in time, to see some ship at sea, and therefore resolved to place myself as near the coast as I could.

7. At length I spied a little cove on the right shore of the creek, to which, with great pain and difficulty, I guided my raft, and at last got so near as that, reaching ground with my oar, I could thrust her directly in. But here I had like to have dipped all my cargo in the sea again; for that shore lying pretty