Page:Surprising adventures of John Roach.pdf/10

 of a mortal body, but also of an immortal soul, which must exist, either in happiness or woe, to all eternity, and which I feared such a voluntary act of suicide would have doomed me to the latter dreadful state. I therefore most earnestly implored the Almighty for my preservation and deliverance; and had the soothing consolation of being assured, that my omnipotent Creator would yet most graciously preserve me: and that I should, in his due time, find a convenient opportunity to effect my escape. But this I could not at present attempt with any probability of success; for the whole country around us was one continued and almost impenetrable forest, which seemed to render it, at the time totally impracticable.

Various ideas of my uncertain fate, kept me awake till dawn of day; at which time our chief (for so I must now style him) called us from our tufty beds. I now found that my chief occupation must be to attend the roving steps of this miscreant crew and bear upon my naked back the unfortunate victims of their arrows. Thus burdened, they frequently made me travel till I was ready to faint under the pressure of my enormous load, and if at any time I accidently stumbled or fell, one or other of them, beat me most unmercifully with their bows, till I arose again; which usage together with the wounds I received from the prickles and briars (which penetrated very deep into my flesh in passing through the forest) rendered my case truly deplorable.