Part 29 (1/2)
The box was soon emptied, and its contents carefully stowed in the most convenient s.p.a.ce behind me; and then, with a joyous heart, I mounted into the s.p.a.ce I had cleared out. One more stage nearer to liberty!
I had been less than two hours in accomplis.h.i.+ng this great advance.
Such success was ominous of future good fortune. It was a day well begun; and I resolved not to throw away a minute of time, since the fates appeared so propitious.
After going down to refresh myself with a grand draught of water, I returned to the _ci-devant_ depository of the velvet, and there entered upon a new series of explorations. As in the case of the cloth-box, I saw that the end of this, which also ab.u.t.ted against the pianoforte, could be easily _kicked out_; and without waiting to ascertain farther, I set my heels against it, and began playing my old _tattoo_.
This time I did not finish it so soon. I was pinched for want of room, the velvet-box being much smaller than that which contained the cloth; but I effected my purpose at length, and out went the end-boards, one after another, dropping down into the interstices between the cases of goods.
Doubling myself over upon my knees, I leant forward to make a new _reconnaissance_. I expected, or rather dreaded, to find the great wall-like piano-case shutting up the whole s.p.a.ce I had opened.
Certainly, the huge case was there--for I at once laid my hand upon it-- but I could scarce restrain an exclamation of joy, when I found that it extended scarce half-way across the opening! What delighted me still further was, that, in groping around its edge, I observed that opposite the opening in that part to which the piano-case did not extend, there was a large s.p.a.ce entirely empty--a s.p.a.ce almost big enough to have contained another case of velvet!
This was a very joyful surprise, and I at once perceived the advantage thus thrown in my way. It was so much of my tunnel ready made to my hand.
On thrusting my arm outside the end of the box and upward, I became acquainted with a new source of joy. I perceived that the empty s.p.a.ce continued for ten or twelve inches higher than the top of the box--in fact, to the top of the piano-case itself. It also opened about the same distance below where my knees rested. There I perceived that it ended in a sharp angle; for I had already noticed that this little chamber was not of a _square_ shape, as we say, but of the form of a triangle, with its apex pointing downwards. This was caused by the peculiar construction of the piano-case, which resembled a great parallelopipedon, with one corner sawed off. It was standing upon its larger end, and it was where this corner should have been that the place remained empty.
In all likelihood the triangular shape of this s.p.a.ce rendered it inconvenient for any package which there was among the merchandise, and hence was it unoccupied.
So much the better for me, thought I, as I stretched forth my arms, and leant my body over into it, with the design of giving it a more thorough exploration.
CHAPTER SIXTY ONE.
A MILLINER'S BOX.
I was not long about this business. I soon perceived that the back of the empty s.p.a.ce was closed in by a large box, and a similar one blocked up the right side. The left was the diagonal edge of the case itself, about twenty inches or two feet in width.
But I troubled myself very little either about back, left, or right. It was the ceiling of the little chamber that had the greatest interest for me; for it was in that direction I intended, _if possible_, to continue my tunnel.
I knew that I was now far enough in the horizontal direction; for the chief advantage I had gained by the discovery of the empty s.p.a.ce was, that it carried me the thickness of the piano-case--about two feet, as I have said--in this course, besides the distance that was open, upwards.
Neither forward, then, nor to the right or left, did I wish to go, unless forced to do so by an obstacle. Upward was the echo of my thoughts. _Excelsior_! _excelsior_! Two or three stages more--perhaps less, if no obstacle intervened--and I might be free. My heart beat joyfully as the prospect pa.s.sed before my mind.
It was not without a keen anxiety that I raised my hand to the ceiling of the empty chamber. My fingers trembled as they touched what I well knew to be canvas, and involuntarily they recoiled from it. O, mercy!-- once more that hated fabric--a bale of linen!
I was not so sure of this however. I remembered the mistake I had already made in this regard. I must examine farther.
I closed my fist, and gave the bottom of the package a smart rap with my knuckles. Ha! it was a pleasant sound that answered to the blow. It was not a bale of linen, then, but a box, covered, like many others, with several folds of coa.r.s.e cheap canvas. It could not be cloth, either; for instead of the dull report which the cloth-boxes give out when struck, the one in question returned a hollow sound, precisely that of one that was empty!
This appeared strange enough. It could not be empty, else why was it there? and yet if not empty, what did it contain?
I hammered upon it with the haft of my knife--still the same hollow sound!
”Good!” thought I. ”If empty, all the better; but if not, surely there is something in it of a light nature--something that may be easily got rid of. Good!”
After making this reflection, I resolved to waste no more time in conjectures, but to satisfy myself of the contents of this new box, by making my way into it; and in a trice I had ripped off the canvas that protected its bottom.
I found the position in which I stood inconvenient. The triangular s.p.a.ce, narrowing acutely towards the bottom, hindered me from standing fairly on my feet; but I soon remedied this defect, by filling the angle with some pieces of cloth and velvet that were near at hand. I then proceeded more comfortably with my work.
I need not detail the mode in which I burrowed through the bottom of the box. It was just as with the others, and succeeded as well. I had to make one cross-cut, and in this my newly-hafted blade behaved admirably; after which, I pulled out the divided pieces.