as narrow even
for him; but he contrived to work himself through it. Putting the slat
back into its original position, and wedging it down with a copper, so
that the means of his escape might not readily be seen, he crept
carefully forward to the ladder under the forecastle, where he paused
to consider the means by which he should escape from the vessel. He
began to realize that this was a more difficult matter than getting
out of the brig. He knew that the anchor watch consisted of an officer
and two seamen.

While he was thinking of the matter, eight bells struck; and he was
aware that the watch was changed at this hour. Retiring to the kitchen
to wait for a more favorable moment, he heard the two seamen come down
the ladder to call the relief. As they entered one of the mess-rooms,
he ran up the ladder, and concealed himself under the top-gallant
forecastle. In a few moments he heard the relief on deck, and from
his hiding-place saw the officer on the quarter-deck with a lantern in
his hand. The two seamen took their places on the top-gallant
forecastle, where they could see the entire deck, and any boat or
vessel that approached the ship.

Clyde did not regard the situation as very hopeful. The night was
chilly, and he did not feel at all inclined to swim ashore, which he
had intended to do, as a last resort. The boats were all hoisted up
at the davits, as if to provide for just such cases as his own. He
listened with interest to the conversation of the watch above him;
but he could not identify their voices, and was unable to determine
whether it was safe for him to address them. In fact he was unable to
determine upon anything, and bell after bell struck without finding
him any better prepared to make a move. At four bells, or two o'clock
in the morning, the watch was relieved again, and Clyde remained in
the same unsettled state of mind. But when the two seamen went below
to call the relief, he changed his position, crawling into the waist,
where he disposed himself under the lee of the rail. Over his head was
the fourth cutter, one of the smallest of the boats.

Clyde could see the dark form of the officer walking to and fro on the
quarter-deck, and his presence was not favorable to any movement. He
found the cleats where the falls of the boat were made fast, and he
was considering the practicability of casting them off, letting the
cutter drop into the water, and then sliding down on a rope. The
officer of