e
or two other inexplicable things which occurred to me during my
residence on Jethou.

One night in autumn I could not sleep, so towards dawn got up and
dressed myself, as I had frequently done before, and took a walk round
the island, a distance of over a mile. This proceeding always had the
effect of giving me the desired sleep upon my again wooing Morpheus. On
this particular night my mind was filled with the question, "How can I
keep my fish pond always replenished with sea water?" and as I wandered
on in the dark, knowing the path so well, I was concocting a new pumping
device, when my steps were suddenly arrested by the word "Harry!"
pronounced gently but plainly just behind me. This woke me abruptly from
my reverie, and I turned round quickly, but could see nothing but my
faithful dog at my heels. "Strange, very strange indeed," I thought, and
was about to resume my walk, but there, not four steps away, was the
yawning abyss of La Creux Derrible, into which I should have walked in
another second, and been dashed to pieces on the rocks below. My life
was saved, but by what? Was it a spirit voice or some night bird that in
my abstraction I fancied pronounced my name?[2] Some will say the
latter, but I must maintain that it was a curious thing that this should
happen at precisely the correct instant, just in time to save me from a
violent death. It _was_ a voice, for I recognized it as that of my own
love, Priscilla, who was at the moment two or three hundred miles away.
But how could _she_ know of my danger?

It may strike the reader as strange, and it is _strange_, I will allow;
but on another occasion my life was saved in a remarkable manner. One
afternoon late in the winter, after a heavy fall of rain, I was sitting
near the brink of the granite cliff on the west side of the island,
making a sketch of some rock masses in the glow of the ruddy setting
sun, when "Begum" became suddenly restive, and rubbed several times with
his head against my leg, looking up into my eyes at intervals. Then he
would walk away, looking round as if wanting me to follow and see
something (a proceeding he had often done before); but being busy I did
not give way to his solicitations, and went on working. This did not
please him, for he now took hold of my coat sleeve, and gave me a tug,
with his eyes at the same time fixed on mine; so, to oblige him, I rose,
and went after him to see what wonder he had to shew me. Contrary to his
u