Mysensationswerethoseofextremehorroranddismay。InvainI
　　attemptedtoreasonontheprobablecauseofmybeingthusentombed。
　　Icouldsummonupnoconnectedchainofreflection，and，sinkingonthefloor，gaveway，unresistingly，tothemostgloomyimaginings，inwhichthedreadfuldeathsofthirst，famine，suffocation，andprematureintermentcrowdeduponmeastheprominentdisasterstobeencountered。Atlengththerereturnedtomesomeportionofpresenceofmind。Iarose，andfeltwithmyfingersfortheseamsorcracksoftheaperture。Havingfoundthem，Iexaminedthemcloselytoascertainiftheyemittedanylightfromthestate-room；butnonewasvisible。
　　Ithenforcedthebladeofmypen-knifethroughthem，untilImetwithsomehardobstacle。Scrapingagainstit，Idiscoveredittobeasolidmassofiron，which，fromitspeculiarwavyfeelasIpassedthebladealongit，Iconcludedtobeachain-cable。Theonlycoursenowleftmewastoretracemywaytothebox，andthereeitheryieldtomysadfate，ortrysototranquilizemymindastoadmitofmyarrangingsomeplanofescape。Iimmediatelysetabouttheattempt，andsucceeded，afterinnumerabledifficulties，ingettingback。AsI
　　sank，utterlyexhausted，uponthemattress，Tigerthrewhimselfatfulllengthbymyside，andseemedasifdesirous，byhiscaresses，ofconsolingmeinmytroubles，andurgingmetobearthemwithfortitude。
　　Thesingularityofhisbehavioratlengthforciblyarrestedmyattention。Afterlickingmyfaceandhandsforsomeminutes，hewouldsuddenlyceasedoingso，andutteralowwhine。Uponreachingoutmyhandtowardhim，Itheninvariablyfoundhimlyingonhisback，withhispawsuplifted。Thisconduct，sofrequentlyrepeated，appearedstrange，andIcouldinnomanneraccountforit。Asthedogseemeddistressed，Iconcludedthathehadreceivedsomeinjury；and，takinghispawsinmyhands，Iexaminedthemonebyone，butfoundnosignofanyhurt。Ithensupposedhimhungry，andgavehimalargepieceofham，whichhedevouredwithavidityafterward，however，resuminghisextraordinarymanoeuvres。Inowimaginedthathewassuffering，likemyself，thetormentsofthirst，andwasaboutadoptingthisconclusionasthetrueone，whentheideaoccurredtomethatIhadasyetonlyexaminedhispaws，andthattheremightpossiblybeawounduponsomeportionofhisbodyorhead。ThelatterIfeltcarefullyover，butfoundnothing。Onpassingmyhand，however，alonghisback，Iperceivedaslighterectionofthehairextendingcompletelyacrossit。Probingthiswithmyfinger，I
　　discoveredastring，andtracingitup，foundthatitencircledthewholebody。Uponacloserscrutiny，Icameacrossasmallslipofwhathadthefeelingofletterpaper，throughwhichthestringhadbeenfastenedinsuchamannerastobringitimmediatelybeneaththeleftshoulderoftheanimal。
　　THEthoughtinstantlyoccurredtomethatthepaperwasanotefromAugustus，andthatsomeunaccountableaccidenthavinghappenedtopreventhisrelievingmefrommydungeon，hehaddevisedthismethodofacquaintingmewiththetruestateofaffairs。Tremblingwitheagerness，Inowcommencedanothersearchformyphosphorusmatchesandtapers。Ihadaconfusedrecollectionofhavingputthemcarefullyawayjustbeforefallingasleep；and，indeed，previouslytomylastjourneytothetrap，IhadbeenabletoremembertheexactspotwhereIhaddepositedthem。ButnowIendeavoredinvaintocallittomind，andbusiedmyselfforafullhourinafruitlessandvexatioussearchforthemissingarticles；never，surely，wasthereamoretantalizingstateofanxietyandsuspense。Atlength，whilegropingabout，withmyheadclosetotheballast，neartheopeningofthebox，andoutsideofit，Iperceivedafaintglimmeringoflightinthedirectionofthesteerage。Greatlysurprised，Iendeavoredtomakemywaytowardit，asitappearedtobebutafewfeetfrommyposition。ScarcelyhadImovedwiththisintention，whenIlostsightoftheglimmerentirely，and，beforeIcouldbringitintoviewagain，wasobligedtofeelalongbytheboxuntilIhadexactlyresumedmyoriginalsituation。Now，movingmyheadwithcautiontoandfro，Ifoundthat，byproceedingslowly，withgreatcare，inanoppositedirectiontothatinwhichIhadatfirststarted，Iwasenabledtodrawnearthelight，stillkeepingitinview。PresentlyI
　　camedirectlyuponithavingsqueezedmywaythroughinnumerablenarrowwindings，andfoundthatitproceededfromsomefragmentsofmymatcheslyinginanemptybarrelturneduponitsside。Iwaswonderinghowtheycameinsuchaplace，whenmyhandfellupontwoorthreepiecesoftaperwax，whichhadbeenevidentlymumbledbythedog。Iconcludedatoncethathehaddevouredthewholeofmysupplyofcandles，andIfelthopelessofbeingeverabletoreadthenoteofAugustus。Thesmallremnantsofthewaxweresomashedupamongotherrubbishinthebarrel，thatIdespairedofderivinganyservicefromthem，andleftthemastheywere。Thephosphorus，ofwhichtherewasonlyaspeckortwo，IgatheredupaswellasIcould，andreturnedwithit，aftermuchdifficulty，tomybox，whereTigerhadallthewhileremained。
　　WhattodonextIcouldnottell。TheholdwassointenselydarkthatIcouldnotseemyhand，howevercloseIwouldholdittomyface。Thewhiteslipofpapercouldbarelybediscerned，andnoteventhatwhenIlookedatitdirectly；byturningtheexteriorportionsoftheretinatowardit-thatistosay，bysurveyingitslightlyaskance，Ifoundthatitbecameinsomemeasureperceptible。Thusthegloomofmyprisonmaybeimagined，andthenoteofmyfriend，ifindeeditwereanotefromhim，seemedonlylikelytothrowmeintofurthertrouble，bydisquietingtonopurposemyalreadyenfeebledandagitatedmind。InvainIrevolvedinmybrainamultitudeofabsurdexpedientsforprocuringlight-suchexpedientspreciselyasamanintheperturbedsleepoccasionedbyopiumwouldbeapttofalluponforasimilarpurpose-eachandallofwhichappearbyturnstothedreamerthemostreasonableandthemostpreposterousofconceptions，justasthereasoningorimaginativefacultiesflicker，alternately，oneabovetheother。Atlastanideaoccurredtomewhichseemedrational，andwhichgavemecausetowonder，veryjustly，thatIhadnotentertaineditbefore。Iplacedtheslipofpaperonthebackofabook，and，collectingthefragmentsofthephosphorusmatcheswhichIhadbroughtfromthebarrel，laidthemtogetheruponthepaper。Ithen，withthepalmofmyhand，rubbedthewholeoverquickly，yetsteadily。Aclearlightdiffuseditselfimmediatelythroughoutthewholesurface；andhadtherebeenanywritinguponit，Ishouldnothaveexperiencedtheleastdifficulty，Iamsure，inreadingit。Notasyllablewasthere，however-nothingbutadrearyandunsatisfactoryblank；theilluminationdiedawayinafewseconds，andmyheartdiedawaywithinmeasitwent。
　　Ihavebeforestatedmorethanoncethatmyintellect，forsomeperiodpriortothis，hadbeeninaconditionnearlyborderingonidiocy。Therewere，tobesure，momentaryintervalsofperfectsanity，and，nowandthen，evenofenergy；butthesewerefew。ItmustberememberedthatIhadbeen，formanydayscertainly，inhalingthealmostpestilentialatmosphereofacloseholdinawhalingvessel，andforalongportionofthattimebutscantilysuppliedwithwater。ForthelastfourteenorfifteenhoursIhadnone-norhadIsleptduringthattime。Saltprovisionsofthemostexcitingkindhadbeenmychief，and，indeed，sincethelossofthemutton，myonlysupplyoffood，withtheexceptionofthesea-biscuit；andtheselatterwereutterlyuselesstome，astheyweretoodryandhardtobeswallowedintheswollenandparchedconditionofmythroat。Iwasnowinahighstateoffever，andineveryrespectexceedinglyill。
　　Thiswillaccountforthefactthatmanymiserablehoursofdespondencyelapsedaftermylastadventurewiththephosphorus，beforethethoughtsuggesteditselfthatIhadexaminedonlyonesideofthepaper。IshallnotattempttodescribemyfeelingsofrageforIbelieveIwasmoreangrythananythingelsewhentheegregiousoversightIhadcommittedflashedsuddenlyuponmyperception。Theblunderitselfwouldhavebeenunimportant，hadnotmyownfollyandimpetuosityrendereditotherwise-inmydisappointmentatnotfindingsomewordsupontheslip，Ihadchildishlytornitinpiecesandthrownitaway，itwasimpossibletosaywhere。
　　FromtheworstpartofthisdilemmaIwasrelievedbythesagacityofTiger。Havinggot，afteralongsearch，asmallpieceofthenote，Iputittothedog’snose，andendeavoredtomakehimunderstandthathemustbringmetherestofit。Tomyastonishment，forIhadtaughthimnoneoftheusualtricksforwhichhisbreedarefamous，heseemedtoenteratonceintomymeaning，and，rummagingaboutforafewmoments，soonfoundanotherconsiderableportion。Bringingmethis，hepausedawhile，and，rubbinghisnoseagainstmyhand，appearedtobewaitingformyapprovalofwhathehaddone。Ipattedhimonthehead，whenheimmediatelymadeoffagain。Itwasnowsomeminutesbeforehecameback-butwhenhedidcome，hebroughtwithhimalargeslip，whichprovedtobeallthepapermissing-ithavingbeentorn，itseems，onlyintothreepieces。
　　Luckily，Ihadnotroubleinfindingwhatfewfragmentsofthephosphoruswereleft-beingguidedbytheindistinctglowoneortwooftheparticlesstillemitted。Mydifficultieshadtaughtmethenecessityofcaution，andInowtooktimetoreflectuponwhatIwasabouttodo。Itwasveryprobable，Iconsidered，thatsomewordswerewrittenuponthatsideofthepaperwhichhadnotbeenexamined-butwhichsidewasthat？Fittingthepiecestogethergavemenoclewinthisrespect，althoughitassuredmethatthewordsiftherewereanywouldbefoundallononeside，andconnectedinapropermanner，aswritten。Therewasthegreaternecessityofascertainingthepointinquestionbeyondadoubt，asthephosphorusremainingwouldbealtogetherinsufficientforathirdattempt，shouldIfailintheoneIwasnowabouttomake。Iplacedthepaperonabookasbefore，andsatforsomeminutesthoughtfullyrevolvingthematteroverinmymind。AtlastIthoughtitbarelypossiblethatthewrittensidemighthavesomeunevennessonitssurface，whichadelicatesenseoffeelingmightenablemetodetect。Ideterminedtomaketheexperimentandpassedmyfingerverycarefullyoverthesidewhichfirstpresenteditself。Nothing，however，wasperceptible，andIturnedthepaper，adjustingitonthebook。Inowagaincarriedmyforefingercautiouslyalong，whenIwasawareofanexceedinglyslight，butstilldiscernableglow，whichfollowedasitproceeded。