This was a work that cost me both time and labour much more than you
might imagine. No doubt the cloth had been packed with the idea of
economising space, and the pieces were wedged as tightly together as if
done by a steam-press. Those opposite the opening I had made, came out
easily enough; but with the others I had more trouble. It took all my
strength to detach many of them from their places. When a few were
removed, the work became easier. There were several rolls larger than
the rest. They were larger, because they were of coarser cloth. They
were too big to pass through the apertures I had made, either the one in
the cloth-case, or that in the side of the biscuit-box. I was puzzled
how to deal with them. I could not enlarge the openings without a great
deal of labour. On account of the situation of the two boxes, it was
not possible to knock off another board. I should have to cut the hole
wider with my knife; and this, for the same reason, would have been
difficult.
A better plan suggested itself--apparently a better, but which in the
end proved a mistake. I managed the matter by cutting off the
fastenings of each piece, and, laying hold of the end of the web,
unrolled it. I then drew out the loose cloth until the web became small
enough to pass through. In this way I succeeded in emptying the case,
but the work kept me employed for several hours.
I was delayed, moreover, by a more serious interruption. On returning
to my chamber, with the first piece of cloth which I had drawn out of
the box, I found, to my consternation, that it was already occupied by
other tenants--a score of them: the rats were in possession!
I dropped the piece of cloth; and, dashing into their midst, succeeded
in routing them; but, as I had anticipated from their presence, I found
that another portion of my wretched store of provisions was eaten or
carried off. Not a great deal, however, appeared to have been taken.
Fortunately, I had been absent only for a short while. Had I been gone
for but another twenty minutes, the robbers would have quite cleared me
out, and left me not a crumb to live upon.
The consequence of this would have been fatal; and once more deploring
my negligence, I resolved to take better care for the future. I spread
out a large piece of the cloth, and depositing the fragments upon it, I
wrapped them up into a sort of bag-like bundle, which I tied as firmly
as I could with a strip of list torn from the cloth itself. This, I
fancied, would keep all safe; and placing it in a corner, I proceeded
with my work.
As I passed to and fro upon my hands and knees--now empty-handed, now
dragging with me a piece of the cloth--I might have been likened to an
ant crawling upon its track, and laying in its stores for the winter;
and during many hours I was kept as busy as an ant might be. The
weather still continued calm, but the atmosphere appeared hotter than I
had yet felt it, and the perspiration ran from every pore of my skin. I
was often obliged to use a loose piece of the broadcloth to wipe the
drops from my forehead and out of my eyes; and at times it appeared as
if the heat would suffocate me. But with such a motive as I had for
perseverance, I continued to toil on, without thought of resting for a
moment.
All the while I was conscious of the presence of the rats. They
appeared to be everywhere around me--in the crevices between the casks
and boxes, which they used as so many ways and paths. They met me in my
own particular gallery, crossing or running before me, and sometimes I
felt them behind me coursing over my legs. Singular enough, I was less
afraid of them than formerly. This partially arose from my observance
of the fact, that it was the biscuit-box that had brought them in such
numbers into my chamber, and not _me_. At first I was under the
impression that they had come there to assail myself, but I now thought
differently, and felt less apprehension of their attacking me. I no
longer dreaded them while awake; but for all that, I could not have gone
to sleep--nor did I intend to do so again--without first securing myself
against their attacks.
Another reason there was why I feared them less. My situation had grown
more desperate, and the necessity for action so apparent, that all
lesser dangers had given way to the greater one that threatened me--the
danger of starvation.
Having finished emptying the cloth-case of its contents, I resolved to
rest a bit, and refresh myself with a scanty ration of crumbs and a cup
of water. During the whole time I was engaged in unpacking I had not
left off, even to take a drink, and I was now thirsty enough to drink
quarts. As I had no fear that my water supply would run short, I now
opened the tap and drank to my satisfaction. I must have lowered the
water-line very considerably, before I could drag myself away from the
butt. The precious fluid seemed sweeter than honey itself; and after
drinking, I felt as though it had re-invigorated me to the tips of my
fingers.
I now turned to my stock of food, but another cry of chagrin escaped me
as I laid my hands upon the bundle. The rats again! Yes; I found, to
my astonishment, that these persevering robbers had been back again, had
gnawed a hole through the cloth, and abstracted another portion from my
now greatly reduced store! A pound at least of the precious crumbs had
been taken, and this must have been done within a few minutes' time;
for, only a few minutes before, I had occasion to move the bundle, and I
had then observed that there was nothing amiss.
The discovery of this new misfortune caused me fresh misery and
vexation. I saw that if I left the biscuit-bag behind me, even for the
shortest space of time, I might expect on my return to find every crumb
gone out of it.
Already I had lost nearly half of what I had taken from the box, and
which I had calculated might keep me alive for a period of ten or twelve
days. This calculation included everything, even to the dust, which I
had carefully gathered up from the boards; and now, on re-examining what
remained, I perceived that there was not enough to sustain me for a
week!
This discovery added to the gloom of my situation; but I did not suffer
it to bring despair. I resolved to proceed with my design, as if no new
misfortune had happened; for the further reduction of my stores rendered
both energy and perseverance more necessary than ever.
I could not think of any way of securing my crumbs, except by taking the
bag along with me and keeping it by my side. I might have folded more
cloth around them, but I was impressed with the belief that these vermin
would have gnawed their way to my crumbs had I placed them in a box of
iron.
To make safe, therefore, I tied up the hole that had been cut in the
cloth; and, dragging the bundle after me, I took it into the cloth-case,
determined to defend it against all comers.
Having deposited it between my knees, I once more set to work with my
knife to tunnel through the side of the adjacent box.