Boy Tar

by Mayne Reid

  CHAPTER TWENTY EIGHT.

  GOING ON "RATIONS."

  I was full of complacence. There was nothing now to cause meuneasiness. The prospect of being cooped up for six months might havebeen very unpleasant under other circumstances, but after the far moreterrible dread of horrid death from which I had just been delivered, itappeared as nothing; and I resolved to bear my long imprisonment withpatience and resignation.

  Six months I would have to endure this gloomy confinement--six months,at the least. There was but little probability of my being releasedbefore the expiration of a half-year: a long term--long and hard to beborne either by captive or criminal--hard even in a lighted chamber,with bed and fire, and well-cooked food, in daily converse with humanbeings, and the sound of human voices almost continually ringing in yourears. Even with these advantages, to be shut up for six months is apainful experience.

  How much more painful would mine be, cramped up in close quarters, whereI could neither stand erect nor lie at full length; neither couch, norfire, nor light to give me comfort; breathing foul air, reclining uponthe hardest of oak, living upon bread and water--the simplest diet uponwhich a human being could exist, and that unvaried by the slightestchange, with no sound ever reaching my ear save the almost ceaselesscreaking of the ship's timbers, and the monotonous surging of the oceanwave--certainly six months of such an existence was not a pleasantprospect to contemplate.

  Withal I regarded it not. I was still too happy at my deliverance fromdeath, to be nice about the kind of life that was before me, though, astime passed, most probably I should grow tired enough of such a drearyexistence.

  Now I was all joy and confidence. Not so confident, however, as to relyupon conjecture--upon a mere guess as to the amount of my means ofexistence. Upon this point I was determined to be fully assured, andthat without further loss of time. My stores, both of food and drink, Iresolved to submit to actual measurement, in order to be satisfied as towhether they would be sufficient to last me till the end of the voyage.

  Hitherto I had felt no apprehension upon this head. Such a large box ofbiscuit, and such an inexhaustible well of water, could never beexpended. This was my first idea; but, after a little reflection, Ibegan to have doubts. The constant drop will wear a hole in the hardeststone, and will also empty the largest cistern, if time be allowed it;and six months was a long time--nearly two hundred days--a very longtime.

  As I reflected thus, I grew a little uneasy as to the quantity both ofmy food and drink; and to put an end to all doubt upon the subject, Icame to the above determination of measuring them. I recognised theprudence of such a course. If it turned out that there were plenty ofboth, and to spare, I should no longer be troubled with doubts; and if,on the other hand, there was a danger of either running short, I shouldthen adopt the only precaution possible, and at once put myself on_short rations_!

  When I look back, and think of my cunning at this early age, I am nowastonished at it; but it is surprising what forethought even a childwill exhibit, when placed in circumstances where self-preservation callsforth all its instincts and energies.

  Without more ado, then, I proceeded to make my calculation. I allowedfor time, the full six months; or in other terms, a period of 183 days.I did not even subtract the time--about a week, since we had set sail.That I set aside to my advantage, allowing the full period of 183 days,lest I might err by making the time too short. Surely, in six months,the vessel would reach her port, and her cargo be discharged? Surely, Imight depend upon this?

  No, not surely. I was far from being confident on this head. I knewthat a voyage to Peru was usually reckoned a six months' voyage; but Iwas not certain whether this was considered the average time; whether itwould be accounted a long voyage or a short one; and, therefore, I hadno confidence in basing my calculation on such uncertain data.

  There was the danger of delay from calms in the tropical latitudes,through which we should have to pass--from storms off Cape Horn,renowned among mariners for the fickleness of its wind--other obstaclesmight be encountered, and the voyage protracted far beyond the periodabove mentioned.

  I was not without such apprehensions, as I proceeded to examine myresources. To ascertain how long my stock of food would last, wassimple and easy. I had only to count the biscuits, and find out theirnumber. I knew their size, and that I could live on two a day, though Iwas not likely to grow fat on the allowance. Even one a day, or stillless than that, would sustain life; and I resolved to be as sparing ofthem as I could.

  I soon ascertained the exact number. The box, as nearly as I couldguess, was about a yard long and two feet wide, by about one foot indepth; for I noticed that it was a shallow one set upon its edge. Had Iknown its exact dimensions, I could have told the number of biscuitswithout counting them. Each was a little less than six inches indiameter, and of an average thickness of three-fourths of an inch.Therefore, packed as they had been, there would be exactly 32 dozen inthe case.

  But counting them over one by one was no labour, on the contrary, itafforded pleasure to me; and drawing them forth out of the box, I toldthem off in dozens. I found that 32 dozen was the number, wantingeight; but the odd eight I was able to account for satisfactorily. Iknew where _they_ had gone.

  Thirty-two dozen would make 384 biscuits; and, now that I had eateneight of them, there remained exactly 376; which, at the rate of two perdiem, would last for 188 days. True, 188 days would be a little oversix months, but as I had not a clear confidence about the length of thevoyage being only six months, I perceived that I must go on shortrations, of less than two biscuits a day.

  What, thought I, if there should be another box of biscuits behind theone I had emptied? That would secure me against all chances, and makemy mind easy at once and for ever. What if there should be another?Was it unlikely? No: the reverse. In the stowage of a ship's hold,there is not much order observed as regards the sort of goods that areplaced in juxta-position, but rather is regard paid to the size andshape of the packages; and things of a miscellaneous kind are oftenstowed together, according to convenience, as the particular piece--whether box, bale, or barrel--may fit into a particular space.Notwithstanding that I knew all this, still it was probable enough thattwo boxes of biscuits had been placed side by side.

  How was I to ascertain? I could not get round the box, even now that Ihad emptied it; for, as already stated, it blocked up the whole aperturethrough which I had originally squeezed myself. Neither could I getover the top nor under it.

  "Ha!" I exclaimed, as a thought suddenly suggested itself, "I shall go_through_ it."

  The idea was feasible enough. The board which I had already pulled off,left an aperture wide enough to admit my body. This had been part ofthe top or lid. I could, therefore, get my head and shoulders inside,and with my knife cut a large hole in the bottom opposite. That wouldenable me to ascertain whether another biscuit-box was beyond.

  I was not slow in putting my new design into execution. I first wideneda little more the aperture in the top, so that I could work moreconveniently; and then I attacked the bottom with my knife. The softdeal yielded pretty freely, but I had not made much progress in thisway, when a better plan came into my head. I perceived that the bottomboards of the case were only nailed on--perhaps a little more securelythan those of the top, but still not fast enough to resist the blows ofa mallet or hammer. I had neither one nor the other, but I thought of atolerable substitute--my heels. Laying myself, therefore, in ahorizontal position, and placing my hands against the great rib to actas a support, I thrust both my feet inside the box. In this position Iwas able to administer such a series of lusty kicks upon the bottomboards, that one of them soon sprung its nails, and was pressed outward,until I felt it could be driven no farther on account of some weightyimpediment beyond.

  I now got back to my old position, and examined the progress I had made.I saw that I had dislodged a wide board, so far as the nails wereconcerned; but it still stood upright, and
prevented me feeling what wasbehind it.

  Using all my strength, I succeeded in pressing it to one side and thendownward, until an aperture was obtained, through which I could thrustmy hands. Sure enough, a box was on the other side--a roughpacking-case, resembling that I had just broken through--but whether oflike contents had yet to be determined. It would not take long to tellwhat it contained. I once more exerted my strength, and succeeded inpressing the loose board quite into a horizontal position, so that it nolonger obstructed me. The other box was scarce two inches beyond; andfalling to upon it with my blade, I soon penetrated through its side.

  Alas! my hopes of finding more biscuit were doomed to disappointment.Some woollen substance--either coarse cloth or blankets closely-packed--filled the inside, feeling as solid to the touch as a piece of timber.There were no biscuits there; and I was now convinced I should have totake to the short rations, and make the best of what I alreadypossessed.