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。