r a space large enough to contain
my body.

I succeeded, however, in effecting my purpose; and having eaten my
morsel, and quenched my feverish thirst, I fell back upon the mass of
cloth, and was asleep in the twinkling of an eye.

I had taken the usual precaution to close the gates of my fortress, and
this time I slept my sleep out, undisturbed by the rats.

In the morning--or rather, I should say, in the hour of my awaking--I
again ate and drank. I know not whether it was morning; for, in
consequence of my watch having once or twice run down, I could no longer
tell night from day; and my sleep, now not regular as formerly, failed
to inform me of the hours. What I ate failed to satisfy hunger. All
the food that was left me would not have sufficed for that; and not the
least difficult part I had to perform, was the restraining myself from
eating out my whole stock at a meal. I could easily have done it, and
it required all my resolution to refrain. But my resolution was backed
by the too certain knowledge that such a meal would be my last, and my
abstinence was strengthened simply by the fear of starvation.

Having breakfasted, then, as sparingly as possible, and filled my
stomach with water instead of food, I once more worked my way into the
second cloth-box, determined to continue my search as long as strength
was left me. There was not much left now. I knew that what I ate was
barely sufficient to sustain life, and I felt that I was fast wasting
away. My ribs projected like those of a skeleton, and it was as much as
I could do to move the heavier pieces of the cloth.

One end of all the boxes, as already stated, was placed against the side
of the ship. Of course, it was of no use tunnelling in that direction;
but the end of the second case, which faced inwards, I had not yet
tried. This was now my task.

I need not detail the particulars of the work. It resembled that I had
executed already, and lasted for several successive hours. The result
was, once again, a painful disappointment. Another bale of linen! I
could go no farther in that direction. And now no farther in any
direction!

Boxes of broadcloth and bales of linen were all around me. I could not
penetrate beyond. I could not make a way through them. There was no
room for further progress.

This was the melancholy conclusion at which I had arrived, and I was
once more thrown back into my despairing mood.

Fortunately, this did not