e got over.

For some time we imagined every noise a rumbling earthquake, the swift
running feet of the children as if the house was coming down, the noisy
thumping of the washing stones as indicative of the rocks falling over
us. This induced us to think, much to Schillie's horror, of seeking a
new abode during the very hot weather on a smooth plain where no rocks
could cover us, nor trees fall on us, though we could not prevent the
earth opening her mouth and swallowing us up.

In one of our exploring parties for this purpose we came upon the site
and signs of an old habitation, evidently having been a substantial and
large dwelling, with remains of garden and palisade. We know not how it
escaped the observation of our kind captain, unless from the fact that
it lay on the open plain, and just before it was a plantation of trees,
so that, unless you walked across the plain, and went behind the trees,
you would see nothing of it; and they being able to see all across,
doubtless thought it labour lost to investigate what seemed open before
them.

Here we fancied had been the lair of the great serpent, from the close
smell and other circumstances about the place; but it was with feelings
rather akin to awe that we investigated a place built by other hands
than our own. Feeling so assured, as we did, that no mortal was on the
island, or apparently had been, but ourselves, we had begun to think
really that it was our own, risen out of the sea for us alone, so that
Schillie was for a time the only one who took a matter-of-fact view of
this appearance to us "Robinson Crusoes" of "Friday's foot." She
declared it had been deserted twenty years and more, and that the roof
was a very bad one at the very beginning of it, and not on such a good
plan as ours; that certainly she descried a new lichen on the walls,
which she went to fetch, and proved herself correct; finally, that there
might be some lock-up place within, giving us a clue to the former
inhabitants. We accordingly searched, and found various articles of
clothing and furniture, evidently of foreign manufacture. Everything was
covered some inches thick with a fine sand, which caused insufferable
choking and sneezing to those who were heedless. It seemed very apparent
that the house had been quitted suddenly, or that something had caused
great disorder and confusion. After wasting a great deal of time,
talking, thinking, and conjecturing, we at last came to the conclusi