"He daren't break his word," answered Growles; "he knows what he'll get
if he does."

Thereupon they unlashed my arms and legs. I considered for a moment
whether I could spring past them and gain the deck. Perhaps they
thought I might make the attempt; and before I had time to do more than
think of it, they had shut the door and locked me in. I knew, from the
quietness of the ship, that she was still at anchor, and I hoped that my
friends might make inquiries about me that might lead to my discovery;
and this idea kept me up. As I lay perfectly still I could hear the
crew hoisting the remainder of the cargo out of the hold. The noise
they made would have drowned my voice, even had I ventured to cry out.
I guessed, also, that most of them knew of my imprisonment, and would
not assist me. My only solace was the thought that Mr McTavish, who
had been so friendly to me, would insist on searching the ship, and then
I thought it probable a story would be told of my having fallen
overboard. They would very likely say that I had got drunk with their
wine, and been seen rolling along the deck, or something of that sort.

I did not, indeed, altogether despair of making my escape. As I lay in
the ill-odorous locker I thought and thought of all sorts of plans. In
spite of the smells I was getting hungry, and I wished that the
boatswain or Growles would return with the food they had promised. If
only one came I made up my mind to seize him by the throat, put my
fingers into his eyes, spring up past him, and try to gain the deck. It
would be hazardous in the extreme; for, if he caught me, he would not
let me go, and in the struggle I should certainly be overcome, when he
would not fail to punish me severely--perhaps to deprive me of life.
Still, anything was better than to have again to endure the sufferings I
had gone through in the hold. I nerved myself up for the undertaking I
proposed. All was again silent in the hold. The crew had, I concluded,
knocked off work; whether to go to dinner or for the day I could not
calculate. After some time I heard the sound as of some one moving near
me, the door opened, and the light of a lantern fell on my face. There
were two heads instead of one. It would be madness to attempt to spring
past them, so I lay quiet.

"Here's the food I promised you," said the voice of old Growles. "Eat
it and be thankful; it's more than you deserve."

It consisted of biscuit and meat, and a