Down-steadily down it came. To the left-far and wide -with the terrible whistle of death! Down-certainly down just above my chest! I struggled violently to free my left arm. I shook and turned my head at every swing. I opened and closed my eyes as the bright blade flashed above me. Oh, if I could die!
Suddenly I felt the calmness of hopelessness flood through me. For the first time in many hours-or perhaps days-I began to think. The band which tied me was in one piece; but I saw immediately that no part of this lay across my chest. There was no hope,then,that the steel would cut the band,and set me free. If,though,the band were broken at one point,I could quickly unwind it from the rest of my body,and slide off the bed. But how terribly close the blade would be! And how difficult the slightest movement would be,beneath that knife of destruction! Suddenly the unformed half of that thought of hope(that I have already mentioned) came into my mind. The whole idea was now present-weak,unreasonable perhaps-but complete. I immediately began my attempt to escape death. The rats,I hoped,would save me. For many hours they had surrounded my bed. They were wild and hungry,and they had,in the short time that I lay unconscious,eaten nearly all the meat on the plate. 'Where do they usually get their food from,'I wondered,'in this place?'
For a long time I had kept my left arm moving, to frighten them away,and many had bitten my fingers in their efforts to reach the plate. I knew that if I lay still they would rush on me. I now took the last pieces of the rich oily meat from the plate,and rubbed them thoroughly into the band wherever I could reach it. Then,resting my hand on the bed,I lay perfectly still. In a moment one or two of the biggest jumped on to the bed,and smelt at the band. This seemed the signal for a general rush. Out of the pit they came in fresh numbers; they climbed on the bed,and I was soon covered by hundreds of rats. The movement of the pendulum did not disturb them at all,Avoiding its strokes, they tore the band into which I had rubbed the meat. They pressed over me. I felt their cold lips against mine; I could hardly breathe for their weight. A terrible sick feeling,for which there is no name,swelled my body,and brought a coldness to my heart. One minute more,and I felt the struggle would be over. I noticed the loosening of the band. I knew that in more than one place it must already be broken. I lay still. I had made no mistake-and I had not suffered for nothing. At last I felt that I was free. The band hung in pieces from my body But the pendulum had already cut through my clothes. Twice more it swung,and a sharp pain ran through my body. But now the moment of escape had arrived. At a wave of my hand,the rats hurried away. With a steady movement-careful,sideways,slow-