ge figure in the goat-skin dress, and had
chased him, but so swift-footed was he that he soon left his pursuers
far behind, and then lay hid in terror for hours, till the vessel had
departed. His life had been besides in other danger, for once while
pursuing the hunt from crag to crag, in wild and delightful adventure,
he had set foot on the hidden edge of a precipice: the grass which
seemed to promise so fair a footing gave way beneath his feet, he fell
headlong, and lay hurt and senseless below. He judged by the size of the
moon, when at last he opened his eyes to consciousness, that he must
have been lying stunned and helpless for more than twenty-four hours,
and it was with the greatest pain and difficulty that he could drag
himself to his hut, and lie down on his bed of skins. His tame favorites
came about him but none of them could help him, and he was too weak to
care to procure for himself food or water. But even in his great
distress he did not lose his confidence in God, and he lay calm and
patient, satisfied that he was safe in the care of his Heavenly Father.
After many days of suffering he recovered and once more enjoyed full
health and vigor.

He had been alone on Juan Fernandez for more than four years when one
evening, looking out seaward before lying down in his hut, he saw the
sails of an English-built vessel which was standing in very near to the
shore. Alexander could not resist the sudden and strong desire which he
felt, to be once more among his fellow-men, to hear once more the
English speech, and feel once more the grasp of a friendly hand.
Hurrying down to the beach, he piled and lighted a large bonfire, to
carry a message to his fellow-countrymen, but the ship, instead of
sailing shoreward, or of putting off a boat at once, tacked and went
farther from the island, taking the fire to be the lights of an enemy's
ship at anchor in the bay.

Alexander spent the night in hope and in doubt: he killed some goats and
prepared them for food, hoping the next day to entertain some of his
countrymen in his island home, and at the first dawn of day he was again
on the beach, gazing at the now distant but motionless ship.

Those on board were also keeping an anxious watch, but when morning
light showed them that there was no other ship near, the captain
determined to send a boat on shore to discover the cause of the strange
light which they had seen the night before. As they approached the
island they saw