beam or vaulted
roof, but from some soft object. That soft object must be removed.

I poked and poked again and again, now in one part, now in another, when
suddenly down came a shower of powder, which, before I could make my
escape, covered me from head to foot. I was certain that it was, from
the smell and feel, flour, though old and musty. The flour filled my
nose, eyes, and mouth, nearly suffocating me. I, however, willingly
endured this dry shower-bath, for as it fell a glimpse of light came
through a hole which I had burst in the upper part of the sack, which
had evidently been drawn across the trap leading to the vault for the
purpose of concealing it. I worked away with my pole until I had pretty
nearly emptied the sack of flour, and then, with a little more exertion,
I brought the whole down, and had a clear view upwards. For a minute or
so my eyes, long accustomed to darkness, were so dazzled with the light
that I could not make out anything distinctly. They were, besides, so
full of flour that it took me some time to clear them.

After this I did not delay in endeavouring to get out of the vault.
Having placed the upper end of the pole against the corner of the trap,
I tried to swarm up it. At first my exertions made the pole slip, and I
ran the risk of having a disagreeable fall; but descending, I placed the
half rotten sack with some of the flour round the foot, and then drew in
several pieces of wood, with which I further secured it.

I now made another determined effort to climb up it by twining my arms
and legs round it. With considerable effort I succeeded in catching
hold of the edge or sill of the trap, and then getting up my knees I was
out of the vault, but not out of prison. I was, however, far better off
than before. Instead of darkness, I had light--instead of a close
vault, an airy chamber, on the lower floor of which sacks of flour had
evidently been kept. There were no regular windows, but only a few
slits high up above my head to admit light and air. The door was
securely closed. The room was in much better order than I should have
supposed from the generally ruinous appearance of the building from the
outside.

Of course, having thus far freed myself, I did not despair of getting
out by some means or other. I was in a hurry to do so lest the
smugglers should come back, and thrust me back into my prison, or treat
me even worse. Looking round the room I observed an opening