my irons, hung up the carcass within the coolest part
of the cave out of reach of any prowling beast. This done, I went down
to the lagoon and laved my arms and hands and face, cleansing myself as
well as I might, and so, taking my well-laden turtle-shell under one
arm and the reeking skin beneath the other, I set off. Now it was
mid-day and the sun very hot, insomuch that the sweat poured from me,
and more than once I must needs pause to moisten my hair to keep off
the heat. At last, espying a palmetto that grew adjacent, I made shift
to get me a leaf, whereof, with twigs to skewer and shape it, I made me
the semblance of a hat and so tramped on again. Being come to the
plateau I set down my burdens, very thankful for the kindly shade and
the sweet, cool wind that stirred up here, and turned to find my
companion regarding me pale-cheeked and with eyes wide and
horror-struck.

"Why, what now?" says I taking a step towards her; but seeing how she
shrank away I paused and, glancing down at myself, saw my clothes all
smirched with the blood of the goat. "How, is it this?" says I.
"Well, a little blood is no great matter!" But she still eyeing me
mightily askance I grew angry. "Ha!" quoth I, "You'll be thinking
doubtless of the murders aboard ship and my bloody jerkin? Why then,
madam, think and grow as wise as you may!" Saying which I strode off;
and thus I presently heard the soothing sound of falling water, yet
look where I might could see none save that in the little valley below.
Being direly athirst I began to seek for this unseen rill, and little
by little was led up a steep, bush-grown acclivity until, all at once,
I found myself in a right pleasant place; for here, all set about with
soft mosses, fern and flowers, I beheld a great oval basin or rocky
hollow some twelve feet across and brim-full of pellucid water through
which I might see the bottom carpeted with mosses and in this water my
image mirrored; and what with the blood that fouled me, my shaggy hair
and beard and the shapeless thing upon my head, an ill-enough rogue I
looked.

This pool was fed by a little rill that gurgled down from rocks above
and, having filled the basin, flowed out through a wide fissure and
down the cliff to lose itself amid flowery banks 'twixt which it ran
bubbling joyously to meet the river. And now, having satisfied my
thirst and found the water very sweet and cool, I stripped and bathing
me in this pool, found great s