This，Iknew，mustarisefromsomeveryminuteremainingparticlesofthephosphoruswithwhichIhadcoveredthepaperinmypreviousattempt。Theother，orunderside，then，wasthatonwhichlaythewriting，ifwritingthereshouldfinallyprovetobe。AgainIturnedthenote，andwenttoworkasIhadpreviouslydone。Havingrubbedinthephosphorus，abrilliancyensuedasbefore-butthistimeseverallinesofMS。inalargehand，andapparentlyinredink，becamedistinctlyvisible。Theglimmer，althoughsufficientlybright，wasbutmomentary。Still，hadInotbeentoogreatlyexcited，therewouldhavebeenampletimeenoughformetoperusethewholethreesentencesbeforeme-forIsawtherewerethree。Inmyanxiety，however，toreadallatonce，Isucceededonlyinreadingthesevenconcludingwords，whichthusappeared-“blood-yourlifedependsuponlyingclose。”
HadIbeenabletoascertaintheentirecontentsofthenote-thefullmeaningoftheadmonitionwhichmyfriendhadthusattemptedtoconvey，thatadmonition，evenalthoughitshouldhaverevealedastoryofdisasterthemostunspeakable，couldnot，Iamfirmlyconvinced，haveimbuedmymindwithonetitheoftheharrowingandyetindefinablehorrorwithwhichIwasinspiredbythefragmentarywarningthusreceived。And“blood。”too，thatwordofallwords-sorifeatalltimeswithmystery，andsuffering，andterror-howtreblyfullofimportdiditnowappear-howchillyandheavilydisjointed，asitthuswas，fromanyforegoingwordstoqualifyorrenderitdistinctdiditsvaguesyllablesfall，amidthedeepgloomofmyprison，intotheinnermostrecessesofmysoul！
Augustushad，undoubtedly，goodreasonsforwishingmetoremainconcealed，andIformedathousandsurmisesastowhattheycouldbe-
butIcouldthinkofnothingaffordingasatisfactorysolutionofthemystery。justafterreturningfrommylastjourneytothetrap，andbeforemyattentionhadbeenotherwisedirectedbythesingularconductofTiger，Ihadcometotheresolutionofmakingmyselfheardatalleventsbythoseonboard，or，ifIcouldnotsucceedinthisdirectly，oftryingtocutmywaythroughtheorlopdeck。ThehalfcertaintywhichIfeltofbeingabletoaccomplishoneofthesetwopurposesinthelastemergency，hadgivenmecouragewhichIshouldnototherwisehavehadtoenduretheevilsofmysituation。ThefewwordsIhadbeenabletoread，however，hadcutmeofffromthesefinalresources，andInow，forthefirsttime，feltallthemiseryofmyfate。InaparoxysmofdespairIthrewmyselfagainuponthemattress，where，forabouttheperiodofadayandnight，Ilayinakindofstupor，relievedonlybymomentaryintervalsofreasonandrecollection。
AtlengthIoncemorearose，andbusiedmyselfinreflectionuponthehorrorswhichencompassedme。Foranothertwenty-fourhoursitwasbarelypossiblethatImightexistwithoutwater-foralongertimeIcouldnotdoso。DuringthefirstportionofmyimprisonmentI