Before You Read: Target Vocabulary
Essential words to understand this chapter easily.
apprehension
/ˌæprɪˈhenʃən/A feeling of anxiety, fear, or worry that something bad will happen.
distress
/dɪˈstres/A state of extreme danger, difficulty, or urgent need of help.
longing
/ˈlɒŋɪŋ/A strong, deep feeling of wanting or missing someone or something.
corpse
/kɔːps/The dead body of a human being.
Chapter Text Preview
I was now in my twenty-third year on the island. My life had become quite settled with my pets—my talking parrot Poll, my faithful dog, and my tame goats. However, my quiet existence was suddenly shattered one morning in December. Looking toward the beach on my side of the island, I saw the smoke of a fire. Horrified, I ran back into my castle, pulled up my ladder, and loaded all my muskets. From the top of the hill, using my telescope, I saw nine naked savages sitting around a fire on the shore. They had arrived in two canoes....
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