old it of several
thicknesses of the cloth. When rolled, I bound it in its place with a
fragment of the thong from my buskins, and I thus succeeded in making me
a drinking-vessel, which would, and _did_, serve me as well as if it had
been of best china or glass. I was henceforth enabled to take a drink
more to my satisfaction, and without wasting the precious fluid upon
which my life depended.

CHAPTER THIRTY FIVE.

MYSTERIOUS DISAPPEARANCE.

As I had eaten so many biscuits for breakfast, I intended to make
breakfast serve me for that day; but, hungering as I was, I could not
carry out my good intent. About mid-day, I found myself groping at the
box, and the result was, that I abstracted another biscuit. I resolved,
however, to eat only half of it for dinner, and keep the other half for
supper. Following out this resolution, I broke the biscuit across the
middle, and laid one half aside. The other I ate, washing it down with
a little more water.

You may think it strange that I did not fancy a little brandy along with
it, which I might have had without any trouble, since there were at
least a hundred gallons of it within reach. The brandy, however, was
nothing to me; and the great cask might as well have contained vitriol,
for aught I cared for it. There were several reasons why I did not
meddle with it. First, because I did not relish it; second, because it
made me feel sick, and nauseated both my palate and stomach. I suppose
it had been of an inferior kind, intended, not as an article of
commerce, but for the use of the sailors, as casks of very bad brandy
and rum are carried in most ships for the use of the crew. A third
reason why I kept clear of the brandy was, that I had already drunk of
it--only about one wine-glassful--and it had the effect of making me so
thirsty that I drank nearly half a gallon of water before I succeeded in
fully quenching my thirst again. I reasoned, therefore, that if I
touched the brandy, it would cause me, either great suffering from
thirst, or that I should have to use more water than I could spare.
Therefore it was, that I determined to abstain altogether from this
alcoholic spirit.

When my watch warned me that it was my usual hour to go to sleep, I
resolved to eat the odd half biscuit, which I had reserved for supper;
and then "retire for the night."

This operation consisted simply in stretching myself in a new position,
and drawing a fold or two of the broa