ThesecircumstancesprovedfortunatebothformyselfandAugustus；
for，hadmattersbeenotherwise，hewouldhavefounditimpossibletoreachme。Asitwas，heproceededwithconfidenceinhisdesign。Itwasneardaybreak，however，beforehecompletedtheseconddivisionoftheboardwhichwasaboutafootabovethefirstcut，thusmakinganaperturequitelargeenoughtoadmithispassagethroughwithfacilitytothemainorlopdeck。Havinggothere，hemadehiswaywithbutlittletroubletothelowermainhatch，althoughinsodoinghehadtoscrambleovertiersofoil-caskspilednearlyashighastheupperdeck，therebeingbarelyroomenoughleftforhisbody。
UponreachingthehatchhefoundthatTigerhadfollowedhimbelow，squeezingbetweentworowsofthecasks。Itwasnowtoolate，however，toattemptgettingtomebeforedawn，asthechiefdifficultylayinpassingthroughtheclosestowageinthelowerhold。Hethereforeresolvedtoreturn，andwaittillthenextnight。
Withthisdesign，heproceededtoloosenthehatch，sothathemighthaveaslittledetentionaspossiblewhenheshouldcomeagain。NosoonerhadhelooseneditthanTigersprangeagerlytothesmallopeningproduced，snuffedforamoment，andthenutteredalongwhine，scratchingatthesametime，asifanxioustoremovethecoveringwithhispaws。Therecouldbenodoubt，fromhisbehaviour，thathewasawareofmybeinginthehold，andAugustusthoughtitpossiblethathewouldbeabletogettomeifheputhimdown。Henowhitupontheexpedientofsendingthenote，asitwasespeciallydesirablethatIshouldmakenoattemptatforcingmywayoutatleastunderexistingcircumstances，andtherecouldbenocertaintyofhisgettingtomehimselfonthemorrowasheintended。
After-eventsprovedhowfortunateitwasthattheideaoccurredtohimasitdid；for，haditnotbeenforthereceiptofthenote，I
shouldundoubtedlyhavefallenuponsomeplan，howeverdesperate，ofalarmingthecrew，andbothourliveswouldmostprobablyhavebeensacrificedinconsequence。
Havingconcludedtowrite，thedifficultywasnowtoprocurethemate。rialsforsodoing。Anoldtoothpickwassoonmadeintoapen；
andthisbymeansoffeelingaltogether，forthebetween-deckswasasdarkaspitch。Paperenoughwasobtainedfromthebackofaletter-aduplicateoftheforgedletterfromMr。Ross。Thishadbeentheoriginaldraught；butthehandwritingnotbeingsufficientlywellimitated，Augustushadwrittenanother，thrustingthefirst，bygoodfortune，intohiscoat-pocket，whereitwasnowmostopportunelydiscovered。Inkalonewasthuswanting，andasubstitutewasimmediatelyfoundforthisbymeansofaslightincisionwiththepen-knifeonthebackofafingerjustabovethenail-acopiousflowofbloodensuing，asusual，fromwoundsinthatvicinity。Thenotewasnowwritten，aswellasitcouldbeinthedarkandunderthecircumstances。Itbrieflyexplainedthatamutinyhadtakenplace；
thatCaptainBarnardwassetadrift；andthatImightexpectimmediatereliefasfarasprovisionswereconcerned，butmustnotventureuponmakinganydisturbance。Itconcludedwiththesewords：
“_Ihavescrawledthiswithblood-yourlifedependsuponlyingclose。_“
Thisslipofpaperbeingtieduponthedog，hewasnowputdownthehatchway，andAugustusmadethebestofhiswaybacktotheforecastle，wherebefoundnoreasontobelievethatanyofthecrewhadbeeninhisabsence。Toconcealtheholeinthepartition，hedrovehisknifeinjustaboveit，andhungupapea-jacketwhichhefoundintheberth。Hishandcuffswerethenreplaced，andalsotheropearoundhisankles。
ThesearrangementswerescarcelycompletedwhenDirkPeterscamebelow，verydrunk，butinexcellenthumour，andbringingwithhimmyfriend’sallowanceofprovisionfortheday。ThisconsistedofadozenlargeIrishpotatoesroasted，andapitcherofwater。Hesatforsometimeonachestbytheberth，andtalkedfreelyaboutthemateandthegeneralconcernsofthebrig。Hisdemeanourwasexceedinglycapricious，andevengrotesque。AtonetimeAugustuswasmuchalarmedbyoddconduct。Atlast，however，hewentondeck，mutteringapromisetobringhisprisoneragooddinneronthemorrow。Duringthedaytwoofthecrewharpoonerscamedown，accompaniedbythecook，allthreeinnearlythelaststageofintoxication。LikePeters，theymadenoscrupleoftalkingunreservedlyabouttheirplans。Itappearedthattheyweremuchdividedamongthemselvesastotheirultimatecourse，agreeinginnopoint，excepttheattackontheshipfromtheCapeVerdIslands，withwhichtheywereinhourlyexpectationofmeeting。Asfarascouldbeascertained，themutinyhadnotbeenbroughtaboutaltogetherforthesakeofbooty；aprivatepiqueofthechiefmate’sagainstCaptainBarnardhavingbeenthemaininstigation。Therenowseemedtobetwoprincipalfactionsamongthecrew-oneheadedbythemate，theotherbythecook。Theformerpartywereforseizingthefirstsuitablevesselwhichshouldpresentitself，andequippingitatsomeoftheWestIndiaIslandsforapiraticalcruise。Thelatterdivision，however，whichwasthestronger，andincludedDirkPetersamongitspartisans，werebentuponpursuingthecourseoriginallylaidoutforthebrigintotheSouthPacific；thereeithertotakewhale，oractotherwise，ascircumstancesshouldsuggest。TherepresentationsofPeters，whohadfrequentlyvisitedtheseregions，hadgreatweight，apparently，withthemutineers，wavering，astheywere，betweenhalf-engenderednotionsofprofitandpleasure。HedweltontheworldofnoveltyandamusementtobefoundamongtheinnumerableislandsofthePacific，ontheperfectsecurityandfreedomfromallrestrainttobeenjoyed，but，moreparticularly，onthedeliciousnessoftheclimate，ontheabundantmeansofgoodliving，andonthevoluptuousbeautyofthewomen。Asyet，nothinghadbeenabsolutelydeterminedupon；butthepicturesofthehybridline-managerweretakingstrongholdupontheardentimaginationsoftheseamen，andtherewaseverypossibilitythathisintentionswouldbefinallycarriedintoeffect。
Thethreemenwentawayinaboutanhour，andnooneelseenteredtheforecastleallday。Augustuslayquietuntilnearlynight。Hethenfreedhimselffromtheropeandirons，andpreparedforhisattempt。Abottlewasfoundinoneoftheberths，andthishefilledwithwaterfromthepitcherleftbyPeters，storinghispocketsatthesametimewithcoldpotatoes。Tohisgreatjoyhealsocameacrossalantern，withasmallpieceoftallowcandleinit。Thishecouldlightatanymoment，asbehadinhispossessionaboxofphosphorusmatches。Whenitwasquitedark，hegotthroughtheholeinthebulkhead，havingtakentheprecautiontoarrangethebedclothesintheberthsoastoconveytheideaofapersoncoveredup。Whenthrough，hehungupthepea-jacketonhisknife，asbefore，toconcealtheaperture-thismanoeuvrebeingeasilyeffected，ashedidnotreadjustthepieceofplanktakenoutuntilafterward。Hewasnowonthemainorlopdeck，andproceededtomakehisway，asbefore，betweentheupperdeckandtheoil-caskstothemainhatchway。Havingreachedthis，helitthepieceofcandle，anddescended，gropingwithextremedifficultyamongthecompactstowageofthehold。Inafewmomentshebecamealarmedattheinsufferablestenchandtheclosenessoftheatmosphere。HecouldnotthinkitpossiblethatI
hadsurvivedmyconfinementforsolongaperiodbreathingsooppressiveanair。Hecalledmynamerepeatedly，butImadehimnoreply，andhisapprehensionsseemedthustobeconfirmed。Thebrigwasrollingviolently，andtherewassomuchnoiseinconsequence，thatitwasuselesstolistenforanyweaksound，suchasthoseofmybreathingorsnoring。Hethrewopenthelantern，andhelditashighaspossible，wheneveranopportunityoccurred，inorderthat，byobservingthelight，Imight，ifalive，beawarethatsuccorwasapproaching。Stillnothingwasheardfromme，andthesuppositionofmydeathbegantoassumethecharacterofcertainty。Hedetermined，nevertheless，toforceapassage，ifpossible，tothebox，andatleastascertainbeyondadoubtthetruthofhissurmises。Hepushedonforsometimeinamostpitiablestateofanxiety，until，atlength，hefoundthepathwayutterlyblockedup，andthattherewasnopossibilityofmakinganyfartherwaybythecourseinwhichhehadsetout。Overcomenowbyhisfeelings，hethrewhimselfamongthelumberindespair，andweptlikeachild。ItwasatthisperiodthatheheardthecrashoccasionedbythebottlewhichIhadthrowndown。
Fortunate，indeed，wasitthattheincidentoccurred-for，uponthisincident，trivialasitappears，thethreadofmydestinydepended。
Manyyearselapsed，however，beforeIwasawareofthisfact。A
naturalshameandregretforhisweaknessandindecisionpreventedAugustusfromconfidingtomeatoncewhatamoreintimateandunreservedcommunionafterwardinducedhimtoreveal。Uponfindinghisfurtherprogressintheholdimpededbyobstacleswhichhecouldnotovercome，hehadresolvedtoabandonhisattemptatreachingme，andreturnatoncetotheforecastle。Beforecondemninghimentirelyonthishead，theharassingcircumstanceswhichembarrassedhimshouldbetakenintoconsideration。Thenightwasfastwearingaway，andhisabsencefromtheforecastlemightbediscovered；andindeedwouldnecessarilybeso，ifbeshouldfailtogetbacktotheberthbydaybreak。Hiscandlewasexpiringinthesocket，andtherewouldbethegreatestdifficultyinretracinghiswaytothehatchwayinthedark。Itmustbeallowed，too，thathehadeverygoodreasontobelievemedead；inwhicheventnobenefitcouldresulttomefromhisreachingthebox，andaworldofdangerwouldbeencounteredtonopurposebyhimself。Hehadrepeatedlycalled，andIhadmadehimnoanswer。Ihadbeennowelevendaysandnightswithnomorewaterthanthatcontainedinthejugwhichhehadleftwithme-asupplywhichitwasnotatallprobableIhadboardedinthebeginningofmyconfinement，asIhadeverycausetoexpectaspeedyrelease。Theatmosphereofthehold，too，musthaveappearedtohim，comingfromthecomparativelyopenairofthesteerage，ofanatureabsolutelypoisonous，andbyfarmoreintolerablethanithadseemedtomeuponmyfirsttakingupmyquartersinthebox-thehatchwaysatthattimehavingbeenconstantlyopenformanymonthsprevious。Addtotheseconsiderationsthatofthesceneofbloodshedandterrorsolatelywitnessedbymyfriend；hisconfinement，privations，andnarrowescapesfromdeath，togetherwiththefrailandequivocaltenurebywhichhestillexisted-circumstancesallsowellcalculatedtoprostrateeveryenergyofmind-andthereaderwillbeeasilybrought，asIhavebeen，toregardhisapparentfallingoffinfriendshipandinfaithwithsentimentsratherofsorrowthanofanger。
Thecrashofthebottlewasdistinctlyheard，yetAugustuswasnotsurethatitproceededfromthehold。Thedoubt，however，wassufficientinducementtopersevere。Heclamberedupnearlytotheorlopdeckbymeansofthestowage，andthen，watchingforalullinthepitchingsofthevessel，hecalledouttomeinasloudatoneashecouldcommand，regardless，forthemoment，ofbeingoverheardbythecrew。Itwillberememberedthatonthisoccasionthevoicereachedme，butIwassoentirelyovercomebyviolentagitationastobeincapableofreply。Confident，now，thathisworstapprehensionswerewellfounded，bedescended，withaviewofgettingbacktotheforecastlewithoutlossoftime。Inhishastesomesmallboxeswerethrowndown，thenoiseoccasionedbywhichIheard，aswillberecollected。Hehadmadeconsiderableprogressonhisreturnwhenthefalloftheknifeagaincausedhimtohesitate。Heretracedhisstepsimmediately，and，clamberingupthestowageasecondtime，calledoutmyname，loudlyasbefore，havingwatchedforalull。ThistimeI
foundvoicetoanswer。Overjoyedatdiscoveringmetobestillalive，henowresolvedtobraveeverydifficultyanddangerinreachingme。
Havingextricatedhimselfasquicklyaspossiblefromthelabyrinthoflumberbywhichhewashemmedin，heatlengthstruckintoanopeningwhichpromisedbetter，andfinally，afteraseriesofstruggles，arrivedattheboxinastateofutterexhaustion。