When he again awoke he felt better. His hot fever had gone. He
attempted to walk. He had just enough strength to crawl to the table
and fetch a shell of water. When he tried to walk he had to sit down
at every two or three steps.
From this he recovered gradually, growing better and better, and he
thanked God inwardly for his recovery. His sickness had continued from
June 18 to July 3.
XXIV
ROBINSON'S BOWER
Robinson's sickness set him thinking about his home. He had been so
afraid of animals when he came to the island that he thought of
nothing but protection from them. He had been now a year on the island
and had seen nothing more dangerous than a goat. The fear of animals
had practically faded away. In thinking over his sickness he made up
his mind that it was caused by sleeping in his cave where the sun
never shone. The ventilation seemed good, but the walls were damp,
especially in the rainy season. Then the water would trickle down
through the cleft in spite of all he could do.
He resolved to build, if possible, a little cottage, or, as he called
it, a bower, in the yard in front of his shelter. The hedge of
thistles was growing and formed a fence that an animal could not get
through. His screen of willows on the outside of this would soon hide
him from view from the sea. He had the wall of rock and the hill
behind him.
He planned out his way of building it very carefully.
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