The ropes glided through a thousand pullies, and the heavy chains of the tacks clanked through their iron blocks as they were eased away. The sailors moved in disciplined order from rope to rope, and the deck sounded with their rolling foot-falls. The serious marine intermitted his monotonous and limited march for a moment, and leaned in a corner to give room to the busy mariners.
Appadocca had continued to sit in the same position as we have mentioned a few lines back, from the fading of the short twilight up to that time, which was now near midnight.
Although he could not see, nevertheless he seemed during the whole time to use his ears for the same earnest purpose as he had done his eyes; and as soon as he felt the heaving labours of the vessel, and heard the noise that was made by the falling of the blocks on the deck, he sprang from his seat like a young horse when it is goaded.
“Ha! this is the time at last,” he exclaimed, in a subdued tone, and springing towards the port-hole with one effort of impulsive strength, he tore down its framework: next, he grasped the stool on which he had sat.
“Confusion,” he cried, “it will not yield:” the stool was tied to a ring on the deck.
When Appadocca discovered this, he seemed slightly alarmed: he stood for a moment thinking how he could unfasten the stool. To undo it with his hands was a labour of hours, and he had nothing with which he could cut it. His eyes quickly surveyed the cabin; he rushed towards a basin which had been allowed him, he placed it on the deck, and jumped upon it. With the pieces of the brittle ware, he began to saw at the lashing of the stool.
It was a tedious labour, one which required an unconquerable perseverance to overcome.
Full ten minutes—minutes that on such occasions are more precious than years—had expired, and he had made scarcely any progress. As he sawed through one fold of twine, another appeared, but still he persevered, and blunted every piece of the broken basin in succession.
The stout heart and persevering hand will conquer immensities of obstacles.