ItiswithextremereluctancethatIdwellupontheappallingscenewhichensued；ascenewhich，withitsminutestdetails，noaftereventshavebeenabletoeffaceintheslightestdegreefrommymemory，andwhosesternrecollectionwillembittereveryfuturemomentofmyexistence。Letmerunoverthisportionofmynarrativewithasmuchhasteasthenatureoftheeventstobespokenofwillpermit。Theonlymethodwecoulddevisefortheterrificlottery，inwhichweweretotakeeachachance，wasthatofdrawingstraws。
Smallsplintersofwoodweremadetoanswerourpurpose，anditwasagreedthatIshouldbetheholder。Iretiredtooneendofthehulk，whilemypoorcompanionssilentlytookuptheirstationintheotherwiththeirbacksturnedtowardme。ThebitterestanxietywhichI
enduredatanyperiodofthisfearfuldramawaswhileIoccupiedmyselfinthearrangementofthelots。Therearefewconditionsintowhichmancanpossiblyfallwherehewillnotfeeladeepinterestinthepreservationofhisexistence；aninterestmomentarilyincreasingwiththefrailnessofthetenurebywhichthatexistencemaybeheld。
Butnowthatthesilent，definite，andsternnatureofthebusinessinwhichIwasengagedsodifferentfromthetumultuousdangersofthestormorthegraduallyapproachinghorrorsoffamineallowedmetoreflectonthefewchancesIhadofescapingthemostappallingofdeaths-adeathforthemostappallingofpurposes-everyparticleofthatenergywhichhadsolongbuoyedmeupdepartedlikefeathersbeforethewind，leavingmeahelplesspreytothemostabjectandpitiableterror。Icouldnot，atfirst，evensummonupsufficientstrengthtotearandfittogetherthesmallsplintersofwood，myfingersabsolutelyrefusingtheiroffice，andmykneesknockingviolentlyagainsteachother。Mymindranoverrapidlyathousandabsurdprojectsbywhichtoavoidbecomingapartnerintheawfulspeculation。Ithoughtoffallingonmykneestomycompanions，andentreatingthemtoletmeescapethisnecessity；ofsuddenlyrushinguponthem，and，byputtingoneofthemtodeath，ofrenderingthedecisionbylotuseless-inshort，ofeverythingbutofgoingthroughwiththematterIhadinhand。Atlast，afterwastingalongtimeinthisimbecileconduct，IwasrecalledtomysensesbythevoiceofParker，whourgedmetorelievethematoncefromtheterribleanxietytheywereenduring。EventhenIcouldnotbringmyselftoarrangethesplintersuponthespot，butthoughtovereveryspeciesoffinessebywhichIcouldtricksomeoneofmyfellow-suffererstodrawtheshortstraw，asithadbeenagreedthatwhoeverdrewtheshortestoffoursplintersfrommyhandwastodieforthepreservationoftherest。Beforeanyonecondemnmeforthisapparentheartlessness，lethimbeplacedinasituationpreciselysimilartomyown。
Atlengthdelaywasnolongerpossible，and，withaheartalmostburstingfrommybosom，Iadvancedtotheregionoftheforecastle，wheremycompanionswereawaitingme。Iheldoutmyhandwiththesplinters，andPetersimmediatelydrew。Hewasfree-his，atleast，wasnottheshortest；andtherewasnowanotherchanceagainstmyescape。Isummonedupallmystrength，andpassedthelotstoAugustus。Healsodrewimmediately，andhealsowasfree；andnow，whetherIshouldliveordie，thechanceswerenomorethanpreciselyeven。Atthismomentallthefiercenessofthetigerpossessedmybosom，andIfelttowardmypoorfellow-creature，Parker，themostintense，themostdiabolicalhatred。Butthefeelingdidnotlast；