Seeing it was hopeless to think of saving the poor little bunny’s life, I gave him the “regulation stretch,” and quieted him for ever.  It seemed strange that I should have cared for this one’s life, and would have saved it if I could, when I was daily trapping and shooting them in all directions.

I think it was his plaintive look that did it, or the consciousness that I was a superior being, and had his little life (to a certain extent) at my command, just as our Father above has mine; but anyway, in his wounded state I knew that death was his best friend.  Looking round I at once realized what death meant—­death in a terrible form—­not to a rabbit, but death to myself—­and for a moment I felt paralyzed; for there was the sea creeping in upon me, not ten yards away.  The roof of the cavern through which I had to pass, did not appear far above the water at the outer mouth.  As I gazed along the tunnel-like aperture the waves continually broke, sending spray to the roof, shutting out much of the daylight seaward, though from the opening above me the sunlit sky shed its light upon me.

Could I find a means of climbing up the perpendicular sides of my prison, if only a few feet?  No, I could not see a spot where even a squirrel could ascend.  What was to be done?  The outlet was now filled to the roof with the incoming tide, which here has a rise of from twenty-five to thirty feet from low to high tide.

The sea reached my feet, and to my excited imagination felt like the fingers of death trying to clutch me.  But I am not one to give up without a big struggle, and I made up my mind to attempt to swim round and round the opening, like a rat in a pail, if it came to the worst; but although I am a good swimmer, I doubted my ability to keep afloat for three or four hours, with a heavy sea pouring into the circular cavity, which would presently be filled with a whirlpool of seething, foaming water.  I should be knocked and buffeted from side to side against the adamantine rocks till I was dead, then tossed and played with till the tide ran out and carried my body into the vast ocean beyond, as food for fishes.  My friends would never hear of me again, and my animals on the island would starve till—­yes, why not try?

My soliloquy was cut short by noticing a crag project beyond the others about ten or twelve feet from the ground.  Why could I not throw my doubled silk sash over it, and haul myself up?  I would try.

The sea was now up to my knees, and was beginning to exert a rotary motion, which, as the tide rose, would increase in velocity.  So off came my waist-sash, and after a few attempts it lodged over the boss of rock; then to strengthen it I twisted it like a double rope, and carefully hauled myself up it, hand over hand, till I grasped the protruding rock; but as it only jutted out a few inches there was no possibility of sitting upon it, so I gradually worked my way up by clutching at any inequalities in the surrounding rock till I got one knee upon it, and there I hung, with my fingers bent over a fissure like fish-hooks.  How I envied the rabbits overhead, who occasionally dislodged the detritus of rock, which fell upon me.  What would I not have given to be back on the ledges of the Cotills, digging potatoes!  But there I was, like a rat in a trap, with no means of egress.