from the roof above.
It did not occur to me that there might be one above my reach by which
my captors might have made their exit with the assistance of a short
ladder. Though I had moved slowly, what with the exercise I had taken
during the night, and the efforts I had made to get out of the chest, I
felt very tired; and, discovering a bale of convenient height, I sat
down to rest myself, and to consider with such calmness as I could
command, what I should next do.

CHAPTER SEVEN.

A prisoner in the vault--The headless miller--I continue my
explorations--My perilous position--My further attempts at escape--The
recess--An unexpected shower-bath--A glimpse of light--I escape from
the vault, but not from prison--A lower chamber in Old Grime's mill--
The result of my further endeavours to escape--My signal of distress--
The Revenue-men--My rescue--The search for the smugglers' goods--My
hunger relieved--On guard--Meeting with my father--The last of old
Grime's mill.

Strange as it may seem, I fell asleep. How long my eyes had been closed
I could not tell. I fancied I heard the voices of people coming down
through the roof. A door directly opposite to me opened, through which
a pale light streamed, when what was my amazement to see "Old Grimes"
the miller dressed in his short frock, his iron-grey hair streaming over
his shoulders, and holding on his head with both hands, proving that it
could not retain its position without such assistance. He glared at me
with his saucer-eyes; his lips moved, but what he said I could not make
out. Had he approached I thought I would have spoken to him and asked
what he wanted, but he did not advance beyond the doorway. Presently he
faded from my sight. The light grew dimmer and dimmer. I thought that
I got up and tried to make a straight course for the door; but when I
reached the wall opposite I could not find it, and so groped my way back
to my seat.

It was not until fully a minute after I was awake that I became aware
that I had been dreaming. I was soon convinced that the vision of Old
Grimes was a mere dream, but I was not quite so well satisfied about the
voices I had heard. I listened, expecting to hear them again, but all
was silent as before. I now got up, resolving to try and make my way
out. Though I had not previously experienced any inconvenience from the
want of breakfast, I began to feel excessively hungry; and if I had come
across a p