Indeed , I wore myself down with continual and aimless goings and comings in the rain . As soon , however , as the sun came out , I lay down on the top of that rock to dry myself . The comfort of the sunshine is a thing I can not tell . It set me thinking hopefully of my deliverance , of which I had begun to despair ; and I scanned the sea and the Ross with a fresh interest . On the south of my rock , a part of the island jutted out and hid the open ocean , so that a boat could thus come quite near me upon that side , and I be none the wiser . Well , all of a sudden , a coble with a brown sail and a pair of fishers aboard of it , came flying round that corner of the isle , bound for Iona . I shouted out , and then fell on my knees on the rock and reached up my hands and prayed to them . They were near enough to hear -- I could even see the colour of their hair ; and there was no doubt but they observed me , for they cried out in the Gaelic tongue , and laughed . But the boat never turned aside , and flew on , right before my eyes , for Iona . I could not believe such wickedness , and ran along the shore from rock to rock , crying on them piteously even after they were out of reach of my voice , I still cried and waved to them ; and when they were quite gone , I thought my heart would have burst . All the time of my troubles I wept only twice . Once , when I could not reach the yard , and now , the second time , when these fishers turned a deaf ear to my cries . But this time I wept and roared like a wicked child , tearing up the turf with my nails , and grinding my face in the earth . If a wish would kill men , those two fishers would never have seen morning , and I should likely have died upon my island . When I was a little over my anger , I must eat again , but with such loathing of the mess as I could now scarce control . Sure enough , I should have done as well to fast , for my fishes poisoned me again . I had all my first pains ; my throat was so sore I could scarce swallow ; I had a fit of strong shuddering , which clucked my teeth together ; and there came on me that dreadful sense of illness , which we have no name for either in Scotch or English . I thought I should have died , and made my peace with God , forgiving all men , even my uncle and the fishers ; and as soon as I had thus made up my mind to the worst , clearness came upon me ; I observed the night was falling dry ; my clothes were dried a good deal ; truly , I was in a better case than ever before , since I had landed on the isle ; and so I got to sleep at last , with a thought of gratitude . The next day -LRB- which was the fourth of this horrible life of mine -RRB- I found my bodily strength run very low . But the sun shone , the air was sweet , and what I managed to eat of the shell-fish agreed well with me and revived my courage .
I was scarce back on my rock -LRB- where I went always the XXXXX thing after I had eaten -RRB- before I observed a boat coming down the Sound , and with her head , as I thought , in my direction .
English Iona Ross colour first fourth morning night poisoned second