Our heads, on comparing notes, began to feel more bearable, and as the
throbbing gradually died away we could feel that the effort to think was
easier, while our thoughts were clearer, and before long we began to
feel about so as to learn what kind of place we were in, and made out
that it was an oblong kind of space between cases, and with barrels
underneath, and upon which we had been lying when we began to come to.
We could learn nothing further, and there were no replies now to the
tappings we gave from time to time, a fact which made my heart sink
rather low. For I knew that there must be some reason for this, and I
was trying to puzzle it out, when Barney Blane said suddenly--
"Say, messmates, arn't it 'bout time as some 'un came round to feed the
crew?"
"Ay," said Bob, "and the sooner they do it the better. I'm getting wild
for want o' somethin' to stow in my hold. They've got to bring
something too, or I'll soon let 'em know."
"Know what, Bob?" I said anxiously, for the man's voice sounded fierce
and strange.
"Why, sir, they threatened us as to what they'd do; fired it right into
my ear, Jarette did. He says to me he says, `If yer don't soon let us
out, I'll set fire to the ship.'"
"Yes, I know he did," I said.
"That's 'robborative evidence, messmates, when yer orficer says you're
right. Well, then, what I says to him is this, I've got a box o'
matches in my pocket, and if they don't soon let us out, or put us
somewhere so as we can breathe, I'll set the blessed old Burgh Castle
alight myself and burn our way out."
"Nonsense," I cried; "you're mad."
"And 'nuff to make me, sir. That there stuff we took's set up a reg'lar
fierce annymile or something in my inside, as goes on gnaw, gnaw, gnaw,
till I shan't be able to stand it much longer, and shall have to break
out."
"Well, you are a rum 'un, Bob," said Barney. "Why, you're not going to
turn canniball, are yer, at your time o' life?"
"What d'yer mean?"
"Talking about eating your messmates."
"Who did? What yer talking about? Nobody wouldn't want to eat you,
Barney. If I wanted to get the flavour o' 'bacco in my mouth I'd get it
from a quid, and while a man could get at a bit o' oak or an old shoe he
wouldn't think o' trying to gnaw old Neb. What d'yer mean?"
"Then what d'yer talk o' roasting us for in that there mad way, matey?"
"Oh, well, I don't know as I meant it, messmate, but I'm that hungry
just now as never was."
"That will do," I said, asserting my position as officer. "Silence,
please."
"All right, sir; all right," growled Bob. "I'm ready. What yer going
to do?"
"Try and feel about, Bob, to find where the hatch is. We must get some
air somehow."
"That's right, sir. Come on, lads, and have a try. Who's got knives?"
"I have," said Barney. "Me too," growled Dumlow. "That's right, then;
we may have to use 'em."
Then a rustling sound began, and I knew that the men were feeling about
overhead; while being able to think pretty clearly now, I came to the
conclusion that we had been thrown down here, the hatches put on again,
and the tarpaulin spread over them, and that was why it was so airless
and hot.