chanically, I felt
for it. No. It was there in its place, just as I had left it! I drew
it out for the purpose of striking around me, to drive the vermin off.
I struck with it and shouted as I had done before, and succeeded in
clearing them off; but I was now in greater terror than ever, for I
could not explain how they were able thus to reach me, notwithstanding
all my precautions.

For a time, I was sorely perplexed, but I found the explanation at
length. It was not through the crevice, I had stopped with the jacket,
they had sought entrance; but by another aperture, which I had caulked
with a piece of cloth. The cloth was too small--it had been loose, and
the rats had actually torn it out with their teeth!

This accounted for their gaining an entrance; but, at the same time, it
by no means removed my alarm. On the contrary, it furnished me cause
for increased anxiety. Why were those creatures thus pertinacious,
returning again and again? What wanted they in my hiding-place, more
than in any other part of the ship? What could they want, but _to kill
and eat me_?

Verily, I could think of no other reason why I was thus assailed.

The fear of such a consequence now aroused all my energies. I had not
been asleep more than an hour, as I knew by my watch; but I could not go
to sleep again, until I had fully secured myself; and for this purpose,
I set about putting my fortress in a more proper state of defence. I
removed the former stuffings from the apertures, one by one, and
replaced them more firmly. I even went through the labour of taking all
the biscuits out of the box, and drawing forth two or three fresh pieces
of cloth to help me in my "caulking." I then restored the biscuits to
their places, and closed up every aperture that existed. I had the
greatest difficulty upon that side where the box stood, for around it
there were many ill-shaped crevices; but I got over the difficulty, by
means of a large web of cloth, which, when placed upon its end, exactly
fitted the open space--through which I had squeezed my own carcass on
that occasion, when I was so unfortunate as to set my foot aboard the
ship. On this side, the piece of cloth left no more caulking to be
done, as it fitted just tight enough to prevent any living creature from
passing beside it. The only disadvantage it offered was, that it
hindered me from getting conveniently at my store of biscuits, for it
covered the opening in the box; but