Our meals had been ordered in from "over the way," and
I might expect some refreshment shortly. While he was speaking it was
brought up. He then left me, and I devoured the coffee and toast with
great avidity. My appetite was far from appeased, but I had to content
myself with what was given me, for prison warders look as surprised as
Bumble himself at a request for "more."

When the slender meal was dispatched, the chief warder paid me another
visit to instruct me how to roost. Under his tuition I received my
first lesson in prison bed-making. A strip of thick canvas was stretched
across the cell and fastened at each end by leather straps running
through those mysterious rings. A coarse sheet was spread on this, then
a rough blanket, and finally a sieve-like counterpane; the whole
forming a very fair imitation of a ship's hammock. It had by no means an
uncomfortable appearance, and being extremely fagged, I thought I would
retire to rest. But directly I essayed to do so my troubles began. When
I tried to get on the bed it canted over and deposited me on the floor.
Slightly shaken, but nothing daunted, I made another attempt with a
similar result. The third time was lucky. I circumvented the obstinate
enemy by mounting the stool and slowly insinuating myself between the
sheets, until at length I was fairly ensconced, lying straight on my
back like a prone statue or a corpse. For a few moments I remained
perfectly still enjoying my triumph. Presently, however, I felt rather
cold at the feet, and on glancing down I saw that my lower extremities
were sticking out. I raised myself slightly in order to cover them, but
the movement was fatal; the bed canted and I was again at large. This
time I had serious thoughts of sleeping on the floor, but as it was hard
and cold I abandoned the idea. I laboriously regained my lost position,
taking due precautions for my feet. After a while I grew accustomed
to the oscillation, but I had to face another evil. The clothes kept
slipping off, and more than once I followed in trying to recover them.
At last, I found a firm position, where I lay still, clutching the
refractory sheets and blankets. But I soon experienced a fresh evil.
The canvas strip was very narrow, and as my shoulders were _not_, they
abutted on each side, courting the cold. Even this difficulty I finally
conquered by gymnastic subtleties. Warmth and comfort produced their
natural effect. My brain was busy for a few minutes.