Say when, and I'll give your feet a shove."

Just those few simple words, but they were sufficient to give me courage
once more, and drive away the mists of horror.

I was myself again, tightened my grip on the stout bars of the crate,
gave a spasmodic jerk, and dragged myself as I lay edgewise two or three
inches along the end of the great crate.

"That wins it, sir," whispered Barney, and feeling desperate I tried
again and again, the bars giving me so much assistance that I got on and
on till I was lyings as I said, edgewise along the end, with my back
against a large wooden case.

Then I stopped, panting with my exertion, the perspiration streaming
from me, and feeling as if it would be impossible to get any farther.
But all the same I was cheered by my success, and after gaining my
breath I was just going to have another try when Barney whispered--

"What's ahead of you? Can you touch anything?"

I stretched out my hands as far as I could reach, and this action
elongated me a trifle, so that I felt myself slipping down a little--
only a few inches, but that was enough; a curious oppression of my chest
followed, and to my horror I realised that the passage narrowed
downwards, and my weight had carried me lower, so that now at last I
felt that I was hopelessly wedged in.

For some moments the horror of my position rendered me helpless. I
could not struggle, but lay as if paralysed till Barney roused me by
whispering in his cheery way--

"Takin' a rest again, my lad?"

"No, no," I panted in a hopeless tone of voice; "I'm fast, Barney; I
can't move."

"Oh yes, you can, sir," he replied; "take it coolly."

"But the packages on each side are holding me," I panted.

"Have another go, sir. You don't know how ingyrubbery you are till you
try, sir. Take it coolly, sir, then wait your time, and you'll work
yourself out just as we did. All three on us got fast."

"Yes; but there was some one to pull Bob Hampton out," I said angrily;
and in this spirit I made a fierce effort after reaching up with one leg
and one arm, and somehow managed to drag myself higher, so that I did
not feel so much oppression at my chest. Another inch or two made me
wonder why I had been so much alarmed, and in another minute I had
passed the great crate, and found more room between the cargo and the
beams overhead.

But I hesitated to go farther in that horrible darkness, dreading some
fresh complication, and feeling that now