Boy Tar Read online

  CHAPTER TWENTY THREE.

  A SWEET SOUND.

  I was lying, or half-standing erect, with my shoulder against one of thegreat ribs of the ship that traversed my little chamber from top tobottom, dividing it into two nearly equal parts. I had got into thisattitude merely as a change; for during the long days and nights since Ientered my confined quarters, I had tried every attitude I could thinkof, in order to obtain freedom from the monotony of remaining too longin one position. I had tried sitting; also standing, though somewhatbent; more generally I had lain down--now on one side, now on theother--sometimes upon my back, and even sometimes on my face.

  The position I had now assumed to rest me for a moment was a standingone, though only half erect, as the height of my chamber was not equalto my own length. The point of my shoulder found a resting-placeagainst the rib of the vessel, and my head, drooping forward, was nearlyin contact with the side of the great butt, upon the swell of which myhand rested.

  Of course, my ear was close to the cask, almost touching its hard oakenstaves; and it was through these that the sound reached me which I havedescribed as having caused a sudden and pleasant reaction in myfeelings.

  The sound itself was simple enough to understand. I easily understoodit. It was the "cluk-cluk" of water moving about inside the butt, itsmotion being caused by the pitching of the ship, and a slight rolling ofthe cask itself, which had not been steadily "cleated" in its place.

  The first "cluk" was music to my ears; but I did not permit myself thefree enjoyment of it until I had fully satisfied myself as to the natureof what I had heard.

  I had raised my head with a start, and I now placed my cheek against theoak staves, and stood with every nerve in my ear straining to catch thesounds. I waited a good while, for it was only at intervals that theship gave her heaviest lurches, and only then did the fluid within thebutt become disturbed. I waited patiently, and my patience wasrewarded. There again!--"cluk-cluk-cluk!"

  "_Cluk-cleek-clee-chuckle-cluk_." Beyond a doubt there was water in thecask!

  I could not restrain myself from uttering a shout of joy. I felt likeone who had been for a long while in the act of being drowned, and whoat length had reached land, and was saved.

  The sudden transition in my feelings almost caused me to faint; as itwas, I staggered back against the timbers, and dropped down in a stateof half-insensibility.

  Not long did I remain so. The acute torture soon prompted me to action;and I rose again, and leant forward against the cask.

  For what purpose? To find the bung, of course; draw it out, and relievemy thirst by a draught of water. What other object could I have inapproaching it?

  Alas! alas! my new-sprung joy fast fleeted away, almost as suddenly asit had arisen! Not quite so suddenly; for it took me some time to runmy fingers all over the swelling outlines of that great vessel; to passthem around its ends as far as the heavy boxes would permit; to go overthe ground again and again, inch by inch, and stave by stave, with allthe careful touch of one who is blind. Yes, it took me minutes toaccomplish this, and to become satisfied that the bung was not upon myside of the cask--that it was either upon the top or the opposite side;but, whether one or the other, it was beyond my reach, and it wastherefore as useless to me as if no such aperture existed.

  In my search for the bung I had not forgotten the vent or tap-hole. Iknew that every cask is provided with both these apertures--that oneshould be in the side and the other in the head or end. But my searchfor the vent did not occupy two seconds of time. I at once perceivedthat both ends of the barrel, with the exception of a few inches nearthe edge, were completely blocked up--one by the box, and the oppositeone by the other cask, already mentioned--the latter of which appearedto be a counterpart of that in front of me.

  It occurred to me that this other cask might also contain water, and Iproceeded to make a "reconnaissance" of it; but I could only "grope" asmall portion of its end, and there I felt only the smooth hard headingof oak, that resisted my touch like a wall of rock.

  It was only after all this had been accomplished, that I began once moreto feel the misery of my situation--once more to resign myself todespair. I was now tantalised even worse than ever. I could hear atintervals the "jabbling" of the water within two inches of my lips, andwas unable to taste it! Oh! what I would have given for one drop uponmy tongue! one gill to moisten my throat, parched and burning like acoal of fire!

  If I had had an axe, with room to wield it, how I should have burst openthat huge cistern, and drank fiercely of its contents! But I had noaxe, no weapon of any kind; and without one the thick oaken staves wereas impenetrable to me as if they had been solid iron. Even had Isucceeded in reaching the bung or vent, how could I have got out thestopper or vent-peg? With my fingers it would plainly have beenimpracticable; though in the eagerness of my first hope I had neverthought of this difficulty.

  I believe that I once more sat or staggered down, and after a littlewhile rose up again, and made a fresh examination of the butt; but I amnot sure about what I did, for this new disappointment had quitestupefied me, and I cannot exactly remember what followed for a goodwhile after. I believe, however, that I performed these acts in a sortof mechanical way; and also that I tried once more to move the box, andpushed against it with all my strength; but, as before, to no purpose.

  After this I must have lain down, and resigned myself to despair, thatagain bound me in its hideous embrace. How long I cannot tell; but itsspell was at length broken by a circumstance that once more put mysenses on the alert.