I had
nothing left in my box but some figs, which I kept for the infant, who
was satisfied with them, and I told my daughters we must go to bed
without supper. The sleeping infant amused them so much, that they
readily consented to give up the figs. He awoke smiling, and they gave
him the figs to suck. In the mean time, I prepared to release him from
his bondage to make him more comfortable; and I then saw that the outer
covering of bark was torn by the teeth of some animal, and even the skin
of the child slightly grazed. I ventured to carry him to the brook, into
which I plunged him two or three times, which seemed to give him
great pleasure.
"I ran back to the cave, which is, you see, not more than twenty yards
distant, and found Sophia and Matilda very much delighted at a treasure
they had found under the dry leaves in a corner. This was a great
quantity of fruits of various kinds, roots of some unknown plant, and a
good supply of beautiful honey, on which the little gluttons were
already feasting. They came directly to give some on their fingers to
their little doll, as they called the babe. This discovery made me very
thoughtful. Was it possible that we were in a bear's den! I had read
that they sometimes carried off infants and that they were very fond of
fruits and of honey, of which they generally had a hoard.
Pages:
429
430
431
432
433
434
435
436
437
438
439
440
441
442
443
444
445
446
447
448
449
450
451
452
453