ients,
under it, often eat more heartily than at other times. With me,
however, the appetite of thirst was now far stronger than that of
hunger, and its misery was not allayed by any hope of its being
appeased. As for the other, I could still relieve it; some morsels were
in my pocket.

I need not recount the many fearful reflections that passed through my
mind. For hours after, I was the victim of many a terrible paroxysm of
despair. For hours I lay, or rather tossed about, in a state of
confused thought; but at last, to my relief, I fell asleep.

I fell asleep, for I had now been a long time awake, and this, with the
prostration of my strength from mental suffering, had at length deadened
the nerve of pain; so that, despite all my misery, I fell asleep.

CHAPTER TWENTY TWO.

THIRST.

I slept neither very long, nor very soundly. My sleep was full of
dreams, all troubled and horrid; but not more horrid than the reality to
which I once more awoke.

After awaking, it was some time before I could think of where I was; but
on stretching out my arms, I was reminded of my situation: on every side
the wooden walls of my prison were within reach, and I could touch them
with my fingers all around. I had little more than room sufficient to
turn myself in. Small as was my body, another as big as myself would
almost have filled the space in which I was shut up.

On again comprehending my fearful situation, I once more gave utterance
to loud cries, shouting and screaming at the very highest pitch of my
voice. I had not yet lost all hope that the sailors might hear me; for,
as already stated, I knew not what quantity of merchandise might be
stowed above me, nor did I think of the hatches of the lower deck being
fastened down.

Perhaps it was as well I did not know the whole truth, else the complete
despair which the knowledge must have produced might have driven me out
of my senses. As it was, the intervals of despair already endured had
ever alternated with glimpses of hope; and this had sustained me, until
I became more able to look my terrible fate in the face.

I continued to cry out, sometimes for minutes at a time, and then only
now and again, at intervals; but as no response came, the intervals
between my spells of shouting became longer and longer, till at length,
resigning all hope of being heard, I allowed my hoarse voice to rest,
and remained silent.

For several hours after this, I lay in a sort