Page:The Swiss Family Robinson, In Words of One Syllable.djvu/34

24 plates, which my wife said she should prize more than if they were made of pure gold.

"We can at least eat out of them," said I, "and if they were gold we could do no more."

That night the ape went to bed with Jack and Fritz, and we all slept in peace till the cocks on the roof of the tent woke us up.

Next day Fritz and I went back to the wreck to save the live stock, and get what else we had left that might be of use to us. We found it no light task, for we had to make floats for the cow, the ass, the sheep, and the goats, throw them in the sea, and tie them with ropes to our raft. For the sow we did the same, though she soon broke loose; but we were glad to see the tide flat her straight to shore. We put on board the raft a vast deal of food that had not been spoilt by the sea, though the waves had made a breach in the sides of the wreck. We then put to sea with our train of live stock made fast to the stern, and drew them like a flock of huge ducks in the water.

We had not gone far when I heard a loud cry of fear from Fritz, "We are lost! We are lost! See what a great shark is on its way to us!"

Though pale with fright, he took aim with his gun, and shot the fish in the head. It sank at once, but left a track of blood in the sea, which I knew to be a sign that we were once