he
chance of some passing ship which would rescue us from this fatal
island. If it fails, we must quickly take to our rafts; frail as they
are, we have more chance of saving our lives with them than we have if
we remain here."

All agreed with me, and we spent the day in building rafts, each
capable of carrying three persons. At nightfall we returned to the
castle, and very soon in came the giant, and one more of our number was
sacrificed. But the time of our vengeance was at hand! As soon as he
had finished his horrible repast he lay down to sleep as before, and
when we heard him begin to snore I, and nine of the boldest of my
comrades, rose softly, and took each a spit, which we made red-hot in
the fire, and then at a given signal we plunged it with one accord into
the giant's eye, completely blinding him. Uttering a terrible cry, he
sprang to his feet clutching in all directions to try to seize one of
us, but we had all fled different ways as soon as the deed was done,
and thrown ourselves flat upon the ground in corners where he was not
likely to touch us with his feet.

After a vain search he fumbled about till he found the door, and fled
out of it howling frightfully. As for us, when he was gone we made
haste to leave the fatal castle, and, stationing ourselves beside our
rafts, we waited to see what would happen. Our idea was that if, when
the sun rose, we saw nothing of the giant, and no longer heard his
howls, which still came faintly through the darkness, growing more and
more distant, we should conclude that he was dead, and that we might
safely stay upon the island and need not risk our lives upon the frail
rafts. But alas! morning light showed us our enemy approaching us,
supported on either hand by two giants nearly as large and fearful as
himself, while a crowd of others followed close upon their heels.
Hesitating no longer we clambered upon our rafts and rowed with all our
might out to sea. The giants, seeing their prey escaping them, seized
up huge pieces of rock, and wading into the water hurled them after us
with such good aim that all the rafts except the one I was upon were
swamped, and their luckless crews drowned, without our being able to do
anything to help them. Indeed I and my two companions had all we could
do to keep our own raft beyond the reach of the giants, but by dint of
hard rowing we at last gained the open sea. Here we were at the mercy
of the winds and waves, which toss