Boy Tar Page 45

  CHAPTER FORTY FIVE.

  ANOTHER BITE.

  Before proceeding to use the knife, I had endeavoured to burst one ofthe boards outward, first by pressing upon it with my hands. Finding Icould not move it in this way, I lay down upon my back, and tried itwith my heels. I even put on my old buskins in hopes of being able to_kick_ it out; but, after thumping at it for a considerable time, I sawit would not do. It was too securely nailed, and, as I found outafterwards, it was still more strongly secured with strips of ironhooping, which would have resisted a stronger effort than any I couldmake. My kicks and thumps, therefore, were all given to no purpose; andas soon as I became convinced of this, I went to work with my knife.

  I designed cutting across one of the boards near the end--and only atone end, as I could then force the piece out, no matter how securely itmight be clasped at the other.

  The timber was not very hard, being only common spruce deal, and I couldsoon have made a cross-cut of the whole piece, even with no better toolthan my knife, if I had been in a proper attitude, with the box fairlybefore me. But instead of that, I was obliged to operate in aconstrained position, that was both disadvantageous and fatiguing.Moreover, my hand was still painful from the bite of the rat, the scarnot yet being closed up. The troubles I had been enduring had kept myblood in a constant fever, and this I suppose, had prevented the healingof the wound. Unfortunately, it was my right hand that had been bitten;and, being right-handed, I could not manage the knife with my left. Itried it at times, to relieve the other, but could make little progressat left-hand work.

  For these reasons, then, I was several hours in cutting across a pieceof nine-inch deal of only an inch in thickness; but I got through atlast, and then, placing myself once more on my back, and setting myheels to the plank, I had the satisfaction to feel it yielding.

  It did not move a great way, and I could perceive that there wassomething hindering it behind--either another box or a barrel--but thiswas exactly what I had expected. Only two or three inches of emptyspace were between the two, and it required a good deal of kicking, andtwisting backward and forward, and upward and downward, before I coulddetach the piece from its fastenings of iron.

  Before I had got it quite out of my way, I knew what was behind, for Ihad passed my fingers through to ascertain. It was anotherpacking-case, and, alas! too similar to the one I was crouching in. Thesame kind of timber, if my touch was true--and this one of my senses hadof late become wonderfully acute.

  I felt its outline, as much of it as I could reach: the same size itappeared to be--the same rough, unplaned plank, just like that I hadbeen cutting at--and both, as I now perceived, iron hooped at the ends.Beyond doubt, it was "another of the same."

  I came to this conclusion without proceeding further, and it was aconclusion that filled me with chagrin and disappointment. But althoughI felt too bitterly satisfied that it was another cloth-box, I deemed itworth while to put the matter beyond any doubt. To effect this, Iproceeded to take out one of the pieces of the second box, just as I haddone with the other--by making a clear cut across--and then prising itout, and drawing it towards me. It cost me even more labour than thefirst, for I could not get at it so well; besides, I had to widen theaperture in the other, before I could reach the joining between twopieces. The widening was not so difficult, as the soft plank split offreadily under the blade of my knife.

  I worked cheerlessly at this second box, as I worked without hope. Imight have spared myself the pains; for during the operation the bladeof my knife frequently came in contact with what was inside, and I knewfrom the soft dull object which resisted the steel with elastic silence,that I was coming upon _cloth_. I might have spared myself any furtherlabour, but a kind of involuntary curiosity influenced me to go on--thatcuriosity which refuses to be satisfied until demonstration is completeand certain; and, thus impelled, I hewed away mechanically, till I hadreached the completion of the task.

  The result was as I had expected--the contents were cloth!

  The knife dropped from my grasp; and, overcome, as much by fatigue as bythe faintness produced by disappointment, I fell backward, and lay forsome minutes in a state of partial insensibility.

  This lethargy of despair continued upon me for some time--I noted nothow long; but I was at length aroused from it by an acute pain, which Ifelt in the tip of my middle finger. It was sudden as acute, andresembled the pricking of a needle, or a sharp cut with the blade of aknife.

  I started suddenly up, thinking I had caught hold of my knife--whilehalf conscious of what I was doing--for I remembered that I had thrownit with open blade beside me.

  In a second or two, however, I was convinced that it was not that whichhad caused me the pain. It was not a wound made with cold steel, butwith the venomous tooth of a living creature. I had been bitten by arat!

  My lethargic indifference to my situation soon passed away, and wassucceeded by a keen sense of fear. I was now convinced, more than ever,that my life was in danger from these hideous animals; for this was thefirst actual attempt they had made upon my person _without provocation_.Although my sudden movement, and the loud cries I involuntarilyuttered, had once more driven them off, I felt satisfied they wouldbecome bolder anon, and take no heed of such idle demonstrations. I hadthreatened them too often, without making them feel my power to punishthem.

  Clearly it would not do to go to sleep again, with my person exposed totheir attacks; for although my hopes of ultimate deliverance were nowsadly diminished, and in all likelihood starvation was to be my fate,still this kind of death was preferable to being eaten up by rats. Thevery thought of such a fate filled me with horror, and determined me todo all in my power to save myself from so fearful a doom.

  I was now very tired, and required rest. The box was large enough forme to have slept within it, stretched at full length; but I thought Icould more easily defend myself against the encroachments of the rats inmy old quarters; and, taking up my knife and bundle, I crawled backbehind the butt.

  My little chamber was now of much smaller dimensions, for in it I hadstowed the cloth taken from the box. In fact, there was just roomenough for my body and the bag of crumbs--so that it was more like anest than an apartment.

  With the pieces of cloth piled in one end against the brandy-cask, I waswell defended in that quarter, and it only remained to close up theother end as I had done before. This I accomplished; and then, aftereating my slender supper, and washing it down with copious libations, Isought the repose, both of body and mind, of which I stood in such need.