nxious to get
a near view of me and my curious craft, while "Begum" came in for his
share of attention also.

Some of the people wished to speak to me, but I up anchor, and with my
usual dumb appeal to my ears and mouth tried to get away, but there was
so little wind under the great cliffs that my progress was very slow, so
I had to sit, tiller and sheet in hand, while my tormentors said their
say, to me and about me, in French, German, and English. One young lady,
when she found I was dumb to her enquiries, made a confidant of "Begum,"
and told him how she would like to see over Crusoe's island, as she
called Jethou, but all to no purpose, for, like his master, the dog was
dumb also, though not deaf.

I should have bubbled over with pleasure to show the damsel my island
and resources; but all I could do was to raise my yellow cap, and expand
my mouth horizontally across my face, to signify my approval of her
attention to _my dog_!

As the boat crept out from the headland of Fermain Bay my yellow sail
began to draw, and very soon I left my pursuers behind. I had become so
used to my queer yellow boat and its yellow sail and flag, that I had
long ceased to see anything peculiar in it; but of course to other eyes
my craft and its crew were a source of speculation and surprise. After
this I never went near Guernsey again during the day-time.

I made a straight run for home now, but somehow felt rather melancholy,
and could not get the young lady's face out of my mind. I felt somewhat
depressed to think I was fleeing from my fellow-men, as if I had
committed some grave offence and could not face them; but when once my
foot touched Jethou's shore (about seven p.m.) my thoughts and
melancholia vanished. There I was, home again, patting "Eddy's" back,
and pulling his long ears, and feeding the pig, and milking the goat,
getting ready my tea, and finally stretching my weary legs to take out
the kinks, which a couple of days in an open boat will put into any
man's limbs.

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CHAPTER IX.

HARVEST OPERATIONS--EXPLORE LA CREUX DERRIBLE, AND NEARLY LOSE MY
LIFE--CRUSOE ON CRUTCHES--AN EXTRAORDINARY DISCOVERY--KILL A
GRAMPUS--OIL ON TROUBLED WATERS--MAKE AN OVERFLOW PUMP.

After my boating adventures I began to think it was high time I should
spend a week or two ashore, looking after my crops and the estate
generally.

It