t the side
of the ship, and it would be no use searching in that direction.

Taking my bread-bag with me as before, I went to work with renewed hope,
and after long and severe labour--severe on account of the crouching
attitude I had to keep, as also from the pain caused by my wounded
thumb--I succeeded in detaching one of the end pieces from its place.

Something _soft_ lay beyond. There was encouragement even in this. At
all events, it was not another case of broadcloth; but what it was, I
could not guess until I had laid bare the full breadth of the board.
Then my hands were eagerly passed through the aperture, and with
trembling fingers I examined this new object of interest. Coarse canvas
it appeared to the touch; but that was only the covering. What was
there inside?

Until I had taken up my knife again, and cut off a portion of the
canvas, I knew not what it was; but then, to my bitter disappointment,
the real nature of the package was revealed.

It proved to be _linen_--a bale of fine linen, packed in pieces, just as
the cloth had been; but so tight that if I had used all my strength I
could not have detached one piece from the bale.

The discovery of what it was, caused me greater chagrin than if it had
proved to be broadcloth. This I could take out with less difficulty,
and make way to try farther on; but with the linen I could do nothing,
for, after several attempts, I was unable to move any of the pieces, and
as to cutting a way through them, a wall of adamant would scarce have
been more impervious to the blade of my knife. It would have been the
work of a week at least. My provision would not keep me alive till I
had reached the other side. But I did not speculate on such a
performance. It was too manifestly impossible, and I turned away from
it without giving it another thought.

For a little while I remained inactive, considering what should be my
next movement. I did not rest long. Time was too precious to be wasted
in mere reflection. Action alone could save me; and, spurred on by this
thought, I was soon at work again.

My new design was simply to clear out the cloth from the second box, cut
through its farther side, and find out what lay in that direction.

As I had already made a way into the box, the first thing was to remove
the cloth. For the time my knife was laid aside, and I commenced
pulling out the pieces. It was no light labour, getting out the first
three or four. Un