Part 50 (2/2)
”I've been shut up in this place so long,” said the etically, ”and it has irl”
”Well, try not to be,” said Aleck ”Look here; there's nothing like seeing the worst of things and treating the did happen as that Eben Megg did not come back--what then?”
”We should be starved to death”
”No, we shouldn't, for I daresay there's a good store here of biscuits and corned beef out of sooods, that we could eat”
”Till all was finished,” said the et out, couldn't we? I know the way”
”Oh, yes I had forgotten that But was there any door to the way down--trap-door?”
”Door? No,” said Aleck, laughing ”It's all the natural stone, just chipped a little here and there to ht,” said the midshi+pman, sadly ”But it is a terrible place to be shut up in Hasn't he been very long?”
”Oh, no I daresay he'll be a long time yet Come, cheer up Let's watch the water there I wish I knehat the time was Can't we tell?
When the water looks blackest it ought to be high water I wonder whether we shall see the arch quite cleared and the light shi+ning through Have you noticed it?”
”Don't!” said the young sailor, rather piteously ”I knohat itlike this to keep up my spirits”
”Well, suppose I am?”
”Don't try; it only makes me more weak and miserable You can't think of the horrors I've suffered”
”But--”
”Yes, I knohat you're going to say--that I ought to have been firainst the dread and horror, andof the sort,” said Aleck
”Well, I did at first, but I gradually got weaker and weaker, till in the darkness and silence so here alone”
”Soly
”I suddenly felt frightened of myself”
”I don't understand you”
”I was afraid that I was losing my senses”
”Well, then, don't be afraid like that anyto lose the shut up alone,” said theto, for you're not alone, and all you've got to do is to lie there patiently and wait I say, aren't you tired?”
”Oh, horribly I couldn't sleep for the horror I felt”