It was with unpleasant feelings I arrived at this knowledge. Beyond
doubt, the piano would be a difficult obstacle, if not a complete
barrier, to my further progress in that direction. It was evidently one
of the grandest of "grand pianos," far larger than the one I remembered
to have stood in my mother's cottage parlour. Its upper side, or table,
was towards me, for it had been placed upon its edge; and I could tell
by the echo given back to my blows that this table was a piece of
mahogany of an inch or more in thickness. It appeared, moreover, to
consist of one solid board, for I could feel no crack or joining over
its whole extent; and to get through this board, therefore, a hole would
have to be made by sheer cutting and carving.
With such a tool as I handled, to make a hole big enough to creep
through, even had it been common deal, would have been a work of no
ordinary magnitude; but through a solid plank of mahogany doubly
hardened by a process of staining and polishing, was a task that
appalled me.
Besides, even could I succeed in doing so--even could I cut through the
table-top--which, though a severe and tedious labour, would not have
been impossible--what then? There were all the inside works to be got
out. I knew little of the arrangement of the interior. I only
remembered having observed a great many pieces of black and white ivory;
and vast numbers of strong wire strings. There were shelves too, and
pieces that ran lengthwise, and upright pieces, and then the pedals--all
of which would be very difficult to detach from their places. Beyond
these, again, there would be a bottom of hard mahogany, to say nothing
of the case on the other side, and through these another aperture would
have to be made to let me out.
Still, other difficulties stared me in the face. Even should I succeed
in getting the works loose, and drawing them out, and disposing of them
behind me, would I then find room enough within the shell of the
instrument to enable me to cut through its opposite side and also the
case, and, still more, to make an entrance into whatever case or box lay
beyond? This was a doubtful point, though not very doubtful. It was
rather too certain that I could not do so.
Still, I might work upwards once I had cleared out the shell; but the
clearing out the shell was of itself the most doubtful point; for that I
feared I should not be able to effect at all.
On the whole, the difficulty of this enterprise quite dismayed me; and
the more I thought about it, the less inclination I felt to attempt it.
After considering it in all its bearings, I abandoned the idea
altogether; and instead of trying to make a breach through the great
wall of mahogany, I resolved upon "turning" it.
I was considerably chagrined at being forced into this resolution, the
more so that I had lost half a day's labour in hewing through the
outside case; and all this, as well as the opening of the end of the
cloth-box, now counted for nothing. But it could not be helped. I had
no time to spend in idle regrets; and, like a besieging general, I
commenced a fresh _reconnaissance_ of the ground, in order to discover
what would be my best route to _outflank_ the fortress.
I was still under the belief that it was a bale of linen that lay on the
top, and this quite hindered me from thinking of going upward. My
attention was turned, therefore, to the right and the left.
I knew that by tunnelling either way I should gain no advantage. It
would not bring me an inch nearer the desired goal; and even after I
should have made a stage in either direction, I should still be only in
the "second tier." This was discouraging enough--more loss of labour
and time--but I dreaded that horrid bale of linen!
One advantage I had gained by knocking out the whole end of the
cloth-case. I have already said there was a space of several inches
between it and the great _coffin_ that contained the piano. Into this
space I could insert my arm beyond the elbow, and ascertain something
about the sort of goods that lay right and left of me.
I did so. I was able to perceive that on each side was a box or case--
both of which, as near as I could guess, were similar to that in which I
was--that is, both were cloth-cases. This would do well enough. I had
now obtained such practice in breaking open these chests, and rifling
them of their contents, that I considered it a mere bagatelle; and I
should not have desired anything better than that the cargo had
consisted entirely of those goods, for which the West of England has
long been so famous.
While groping along the sides of these cases, it occurred to me to raise
my hand upward, and just ascertain how far the bale of linen projected
over the empty cloth-case. To my astonishment it did not project at
all! I say to my astonishment, for those bales I had already examined
were as near as possible of the same size as the cases of broadcloth;
and as this one wanted quite a foot of being "flush" with the inner end
of the case, I concluded I should find it that much over at the other
end. But it was not--not an inch over; and therefore, thought I, it
must be a smaller package than the others.
While making this reflection something suggested that I should
scrutinise the bale more closely. I did so, both with my fingers and
the blade of my knife, and was now agreeably surprised to find that it
was not a _bale_ at all, but a wooden box. It was covered all over with
a soft thick substance--a piece of rush matting--and this it was that
had led to my mistake.
The possibility of tunnelling in a vertical direction was now apparent.
I could easily hew off the rush matting and then deal with the box as I
had done with the others.
Of course, I thought no longer of taking the roundabout way by the right
or the left; but at once changed my intention, and determined to travel
upward.
I need hardly describe how I made my entry into this mat-covered box.
Suffice it to say, that I began by cutting one of the lid boards of the
empty cloth-case, and then drawing it downwards till I pulled it out.
The open space by the side of the ship proved an advantage to me while
making the cross-section, as it allowed me to ply my blade freely
through the planks.
Having succeeded with one board, I was enabled to detach another without
any more hewing; and this gave me enough space to work on the bottom of
the covered case.
By dint of cutting and tearing I soon got the rushes out of the way, and
then the wood was revealed to my touch; and by this delicate sense I
perceived that, like the others, it was a case of common deal.
I only rested a moment before beginning my attack upon it. As it lay
twelve inches from the timbers of the ship, one of its angles was quite
within my reach; and on running my hand along it, I could feel the heads
of the nails, that did not appear to be either numerous or very firmly
driven. This gave me satisfaction, and still more was I rejoiced to
find that there was no hooping upon it. I should, perhaps, be enabled
to prise off one of the boards, and this would save me the long,
wearisome task of cutting it crossways.
At the moment this appeared a fortunate circumstance, and I
congratulated myself upon it. Alas! it proved the cause of a sad
misfortune, that in five minutes had plunged me once more into the
deepest misery.
Half-a-dozen words will explain.
I had inserted the blade of my knife under the board, and was trying if
it felt loose. Not that I believed I could prize it off with this; but
rather to ascertain what resistance there was, in order to look out for
some more proper lever.
To my sorrow, I leant too heavily upon the piece of steel; for a short,
sharp crack, startling me worse than a shot would have done, announced
that _the blade was broken_!