the works of edgar allan poe-3-第9章

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struggled　and　prayed　only　for　the　poor　satisfaction　of　being
permitted　to　bid　his　father　farewell。　A　handful　of　sea…biscuit　and　a
jug　of　water　were　now　handed　down；　but　neither　mast；　sail；　oar；　nor
compass。　The　boat　was　towed　astern　for　a　few　minutes；　during　which
the　mutineers　held　another　consultation…　it　was　then　finally　cut
adrift。　By　this　time　night　had　come　on…　there　were　neither　moon　nor
stars　visible…　and　a　short　and　ugly　sea　was　running；　although　there
was　no　great　deal　of　wind。　The　boat　was　instantly　out　of　sight；　and
little　hope　could　be　entertained　for　the　unfortunate　sufferers　who
were　in　it。　This　event　happened；　however；　in　latitude　35　degrees　30'
north；　longitude　61　degrees　20'　west；　and　consequently　at　no　very
great　distance　from　the　Bermuda　Islands。　Augustus　therefore
endeavored　to　console　himself　with　the　idea　that　the　boat　might
either　succeed　in　reaching　the　land；　or　come　sufficiently　near　to　be
fallen　in　with　by　vessels　off　the　coast。

　　　　　All　sail　was　now　put　upon　the　brig；　and　she　continued　her
original　course　to　the　southwest…　the　mutineers　being　bent　upon　some
piratical　expedition；　in　which；　from　all　that　could　be　understood；　a
ship　was　to　be　intercepted　on　her　way　from　the　Cape　Verd　Islands　to
Porto　Rico。　No　attention　was　paid　to　Augustus；　who　was　untied　and
suffered　to　go　about　anywhere　forward　of　the　cabin　companion…way。
Dirk　Peters　treated　him　with　some　degree　of　kindness；　and　on　one
occasion　saved　him　from　the　brutality　of　the　cook。　His　situation　was
still　one　of　the　most　precarious；　as　the　men　were　continually
intoxicated；　and　there　was　no　relying　upon　their　continued　good…humor
or　carelessness　in　regard　to　himself。　His　anxiety　on　my　account　be
represented；　however；　as　the　most　distressing　result　of　his
condition；　and；　indeed；　I　had　never　reason　to　doubt　the　sincerity　of
his　friendship。　More　than　once　he　had　resolved　to　acquaint　the
mutineers　with　the　secret　of　my　being　on　board；　but　was　restrained
from　so　doing；　partly　through　recollection　of　the　atrocities　he　had
already　beheld；　and　partly　through　a　hope　of　being　able　soon　to　bring
me　relief。　For　the　latter　purpose　he　was　constantly　on　the　watch；
but；　in　spite　of　the　most　constant　vigilance；　three　days　elapsed
after　the　boat　was　cut　adrift　before　any　chance　occurred。　At　length；
on　the　night　of　the　third　day；　there　came　on　a　heavy　blow　from　the
eastward；　and　all　hands　were　called　up　to　take　in　sail。　During　the
confusion　which　ensued；　he　made　his　way　below　unobserved；　and　into
the　stateroom。　What　was　his　grief　and　horror　in　discovering　that　the
latter　had　been　rendered　a　place　of　deposit　for　a　variety　of
sea…stores　and　ship…furniture；　and　that　several　fathoms　of　old
chain…cable；　which　had　been　stowed　away　beneath　the　companion…ladder；
had　been　dragged　thence　to　make　room　for　a　chest；　and　were　now　lying
immediately　upon　the　trap！　To　remove　it　without　discovery　was
impossible；　and　he　returned　on　deck　as　quickly　as　he　could。　As　be
came　up；　the　mate　seized　him　by　the　throat；　and　demanding　what　he　had
been　doing　in　the　cabin；　was　about　flinging　him　over　the　larboard
bulwark；　when　his　life　was　again　preserved　through　the　interference
of　Dirk　Peters。　Augustus　was　now　put　in　handcuffs　（of　which　there
were　several　pairs　on　board）；　and　his　feet　lashed　tightly　together。
He　was　then　taken　into　the　steerage；　and　thrown　into　a　lower　berth
next　to　the　forecastle　bulkheads；　with　the　assurance　that　he　should
never　put　his　foot　on　deck　again　〃until　the　brig　was　no　longer　a
brig。〃　This　was　the　expression　of　the　cook；　who　threw　him　into　the
berth…　it　is　hardly　possible　to　say　what　precise　meaning　intended　by
the　phrase。　The　whole　affair；　however；　proved　the　ultimate　means　of
my　relief；　as　will　presently　appear。

~~~　End　of　Text　of　Chapter　4　~~~

CHAPTER　5



　　　　FOR　some　minutes　after　the　cook　had　left　the　forecastle；　Augustus
abandoned　himself　to　despair；　never　hoping　to　leave　the　berth　alive。
He　now　came　to　the　resolution　of　acquainting　the　first　of　the　men　who
should　come　down　with　my　situation；　thinking　it　better　to　let　me　take
my　chance　with　the　mutineers　than　perish　of　thirst　in　the　hold；…　for
it　had　been　ten　days　since　I　was　first　imprisoned；　and　my　jug　of
water　was　not　a　plentiful　supply　even　for　four。　As　he　was　thinking　on
this　subject；　the　idea　came　all　at　once　into　his　head　that　it　might
be　possible　to　communicate　with　me　by　the　way　of　the　main　hold。　In
any　other　circumstances；　the　difficulty　and　hazard　of　the　undertaking
would　have　pre。　vented　him　from　attempting　it；　but　now　he　had；　at　all
events；　little　prospect　of　life；　and　consequently　little　to　lose；　he
bent　his　whole　mind；　therefore；　upon　the　task。

　　　　His　handcuffs　were　the　first　consideration。　At　first　he　saw　no
method　of　removing　them；　and　feared　that　he　should　thus　be　baffled　in
the　very　outset；　but　upon　a　closer　scrutiny　he　discovered　that　the
irons　could　be　slipped　off　and　on　at　pleasure；　with　very　little
effort　or　inconvenience；　merely　by　squeezing　his　hands　through　them；…
this　species　of　manacle　being　altogether　ineffectual　in　confining
young　persons；　in　whom　the　smaller　bones　readily　yield　to　pressure。
He　now　untied　his　feet；　and；　leaving　the　cord　in　such　a　manner　that
it　could　easily　be　readjusted　in　the　event　of　any　person's　coming
down；　proceeded　to　examine　the　bulkhead　where　it　joined　the　berth。
The　partition　here　was　of　soft　pine　board；　an　inch　thick；　and　he　saw
that　he　should　have　little　trouble　in　cutting　his　way　through。　A
voice　was　now　heard　at　the　forecastle　companion…way；　and　he　had　just
time　to　put　his　right　hand　into　its　handcuff　（the　left　had　not　been
removed）　and　to　draw　the　rope　in　a　slipknot　around　his　ankle；　when
Dirk　Peters　came　below；　followed　by　Tiger；　who　immediately　leaped
into　the　berth　and　lay　down。　The　dog　had　been　brought　on　board　by
Augustus；　who　knew　my　attachment　to　the　animal；　and　thought　it　would
give　me　pleasure　to　have　him　with　me　during　the　voyage。　He　went　up　to
our　house　for　him　immediately　after　first　taking　me　into　the　hold；
but　did　not　think　of　mentioning　the　circumstance　upon　his　bringing
the　watch。　Since　the　mutiny；　Augustus　had　not　seen　him　before　his
appearance　with　Dirk　Peters；　and　had　given　him　up　for　lost；　supposing
him　to　have　been　thrown　overboard　by　some　of　the　malignant　villains
belonging　to　the　mate's　gang。　It　appeared　afterward　that　he　had
crawled　into　a　hole　beneath　a　whale…boat；　from　which；　not　having　room
to　turn　round；　he　could　not　extricate　himself。　Peters　at　last　let　him
out；　and；　with　a　species　of　good　feeling　which　my　friend　knew　well
how　to　appreciate；　had　now　brought　him　to　him　in　the　forecastle　as　a
companion；　leaving　at　the　same　time　some　salt　junk　and　potatoes；　with
a　can　of　water；　he　then　went　on　deck；　promising　to　come　down　with
something　more　to　eat　on　the　next　day。

　　　　When　he　had　gone；　Augustus　freed　both　hands　from　the　manacles　and
unfastened　his　feet。　He　then　turned　down　the　head　of　the　mattress　on
which　he　had　been　lying；　and　with　his　penknife　（for　the　ruffians　had
not　thought　it　worth　while　to　search　him）　commenced　cutting
vigorously　across　one　of　the　partition　planks；　as　closely　as　possible
to　the　floor　of　the　berth。　He　chose　to　cut　here；　because；　if　suddenly
interrupted；　he　would　be　able　to　conceal　what　had　been　done　by
letting　the　head　of　the　mattress　fall　into　its　proper　position。　For
the　remainder　of　the　day；　however；　no　disturbance　occurred；　and　by
night　he　had　completely　divided　the　plank。　It　should　here　be　observed
that　none　of　the　crew　occupied　the　forecastle　as　a　sleeping…place；
living　altogether　in　the　cabin　since　the　mutiny；　drinking　the　wines
and　feasting　on　the　sea…stores　of　Captain　Barnard；　and　giving　no　more
heed　than　was　absolutely　necessary　to　the　navigation　of　the　brig。
These　circumstances　proved　fortunate　both　for　myself　and　Augustus；
for；　had　matters　been　otherwise；　he　would　have　found　it　impossible　to
reach　me。　As　it　was；　he　proceeded　with　confidence　in　his　design。　It
was　near　daybreak；　however；　before　he　completed　the　second　division
of　the　board　（which　was　about　a　foot　above　the　first　cut）；　thus
making　an　aperture　quite　large　enough　to　admit　his　passage　through
with　facility　to　the　main　orlop　deck。　Having　got　here；　he　made　his
way　with　but　little　trouble　to　the　lower　main　hatch；　although　in　so
doing　he　had　to　scramble　over　tiers　of　oil…casks　piled　nearly　as　high
as　the　upper　deck；　there　being　barely　room　enough　left　for　his　body。
Upon　reaching　the　hatch　he　found　that　Tiger　had　followed　him　below；
squeezing　between　two　rows　of　the　casks。　It　was　now　too　late；
however；　to　attempt　getting　to　me　before　dawn；　as　the　chief
difficulty　lay　in　passing　through　the　close　stowage　in　the　lower
hold。　He　therefore　resolved　to　return；　and　wait　till　the　next　night。
With　this　design；　he　proceeded　to　loosen　the　hatch；　so　that　he　might
have　as　little　detention　as　possible　when　he　should　come　again。　No
sooner　had　he　loosened　it　than　Tiger　sprang　eagerly　to　the　small
opening　produced；　snuffed　for　a　moment；　and　then　uttered　a　long
whine；　scratching　at　the　same　time；　as　if　anxious　to　remove　the
covering　with　his　paws。　There　could　be　no　doubt；　from　his　behaviour；
that　he　was　aware　of　my　being　in　the　hold；　and　Augustus　thought　it
possible　that　he　would　be　able　to　get　to　me　if　he　put　him　down。　He
now　hit　upon　the　expedient　of　sending　the　note；　as　it　was　especially
desirable　that　I　should　make　no　attempt　at　forcing　my　way　out　at
least　under　existing　circumstances；　and　there　could　be　no　certainty
of　his　getting　to　me　himself　on　the　morrow　as　he　intended。
After…events　proved　how　fortunate　it　was　that　the　idea　occurred　to
him　as　it　did；　for；　had　it　not　been　for　the　receipt　of　the　note；　I
should　undoubtedly　have　fallen　upon　some　plan；　however　desperate；　of
alarming　the　crew；　and　both　our　lives　would　most　probably　have　been
sacrificed　in　consequence。

　　　　Having　concluded　to　write；　the　difficulty　was　now　to　procure　the
mate。　rials　for　so　doing。　An　old　toothpick　was　soon　made　into　a　pen；
and　this　by　means　of　feeling　altogether；　for　the　between…decks　was　as
dark　as　pitch。　Paper　enough　was　obtained　from　the　back　of　a　letter…　a
duplicate　of　the　forged　letter　from　Mr。　Ross。　This　had　been　the
original　draught；　but　the　handwriting　not　being　sufficiently　well
imitated；　Augustus　had　written　another；　thrusting　the　first；　by　good
fortune；　into　his　coat…pocket；　where　it　was　now　most　opportunely
discovered。　Ink　alone　was　thus　wanting；　and　a　substitute　was
immediately　found　for　this　by　means　of　a　slight　incision　with　the
pen…knife　on　the　back　of　a　finger　just　above　the　nail…　a　copious　flow
of　blood　ensuing；　as　usual；　from　wounds　in　that　vicinity。　The　note
was　now　written；　as　well　as　it　could　be　in　the　dark　and　under　the
circumstances。　It　briefly　explained　that　a　mutiny　had　taken　place；
that　Captain　Barnard　was　set　adrift；　and　that　I　might　expect
immediate　relief　as　far　as　provisions　were　concerned；　but　must　not
venture　upon　making　any　disturbance。　It　concluded　with　these　words：
〃_I　have　scrawled　this　with　blood…　your　life　depends　upon　lying
close。_〃

　　　　This　slip　of　paper　being　tied　upon　the　dog；　he　was　now　put　down
the　hatchway；　and　Augustus　made　the　best　of　his　way　back　to　the