now
that whilst this was going forward on deck it was not likely that notice
would be taken of my feeble knocking, for feeble it was, though it
sounded loud to me.

Presently I felt a greater movement than I had experienced for some
time, and the ship heeled over on one side. My fear was that the cases
on which I lay might be again shifted, and that I might be thrown down
to some lower depth of the hold, with bales and casks above me. Of
course I am describing what I fancied might happen, not what was likely
to occur. I now guessed that a number of the crew must have gone aloft
to shorten sail, and that even if they had heard the noise they would
not have had time to ascertain what had caused it. I now more than ever
feared that, before I could be liberated, I should become utterly
exhausted, and should fall into a swoon from which I might never
recover.

I was too weak to pray, or any longer exert myself. Still my senses did
not altogether desert me. I lay on my back, looking up towards the
hatchway. The ship heeled over more and more. To me, who had been
accustomed to live so long down near the keel, it appeared at a
frightful angle, and I though, she would go over altogether. Again I
heard voices shouting out orders, and the crew, I supposed, went aloft
to take in more sail. I was afraid that another storm was coming on.
Fearful would be the consequences to me if such should be the case.
Presently I heard something dragged over the hatchway. The ray of light
which had hitherto tended to keep up my waning spirits was obscured.

A tarpaulin had been placed over the hatchway. Perhaps the crew were
about to batten down the hatches. In vain I tried, while this was going
forward, to strike the cask. I had not sufficient strength to do it. A
fearful faintness was coming over me. Perhaps the movement of the ship
contributed to this. I think I must have fainted, for I cannot
recollect what happened. I had no strength to hold on or to grasp the
stick, and might have been thrown helplessly about like a shuttlecock
till life was extinct.

I fancy that some time must have passed. When I recovered my senses, my
first impulse was to feel for the stick. It was close to me. I had
power to grasp it. The top of the chest on which I lay was perfectly
level, but I expected to find it heeling over as before. Instead of
that, no movement took place. The ship was apparently gliding forward
on an even keel. The