Besides, granting
      that we were still in the neighborhood of the island, why should
      not Augustus have visited me and informed me of the circumstance? Pondering in this manner upon the difficulties of my solitary and
      cheerless condition, I resolved to wait yet another twenty-four
      hours, when, if no relief were obtained, I would make my way to
      the trap, and endeavour either to hold a parley with my friend,
      or get at least a little fresh air through the opening, and a
      further supply of water from the stateroom. While occupied with
      this thought, however, I fell in spite of every exertion to the
      contrary, into a state of profound sleep, or rather stupor. My
      dreams were of the most terrific description. Every species of
      calamity and horror befell me. Among other miseries I was
      smothered to death between huge pillows, by demons of the most
      ghastly and ferocious aspect. Immense serpents held me in their
      embrace, and looked earnestly in my face with their fearfully
      shining eyes. Then deserts, limitless, and of the most forlorn
      and awe-inspiring character, spread themselves out before me. Immensely tall trunks of trees, gray and leafless, rose up in
      endless succession as far as the eye could reach. Their roots
      were concealed in wide-spreading morasses, whose dreary water lay
      intensely black, still, and altogether terrible, beneath. And the
      strange trees seemed endowed with a human vitality, and waving to
      and fro their skeleton arms, were crying to the silent waters for
      mercy, in the shrill and piercing accents of the most acute agony
      and despair. The scene changed; and I stood, naked and alone,
      amidst the burning sand-plains of Sahara. At my feet lay crouched
      a fierce lion of the tropics. Suddenly his wild eyes opened and
      fell upon me. With a conclusive bound he sprang to his feet, and
      laid bare his horrible teeth. In another instant there burst from
      his red throat a roar like the thunder of the firmament, and I
      fell impetuously to the earth. Stifling in a paroxysm of terror,
      I at last found myself partially awake. My dream, then, was not
      all a dream. Now, at least, I was in possession of my senses. The
      paws of some huge and real monster were pressing heavily upon my
      bosom—his hot breath was in my ear—and his white and ghastly
      fangs were gleaming upon me through the gloom. Had a thousand lives hung upon the movement of a limb or the
      utterance of a syllable, I could have neither stirred nor spoken. The beast, whatever it was, retained his position without
      attempting any immediate violence, while I lay in an utterly
      helpless, and, I fancied, a dying condition beneath him. I felt
      that my powers of body and mind were fast leaving me—in a word,
      that I was perishing, and perishing of sheer fright. My brain
      swam—I grew deadly sick—my vision failed—even the glaring
      eyeballs above me grew dim. Making a last strong effort, I at
      length breathed a faint ejaculation to God, and resigned myself
      to die. The sound of my voice seemed to arouse all the latent
      fury of the animal. He precipitated himself at full length upon
      my body; but what was my astonishment, when, with a long and low
      whine, he commenced licking my face and hands with the greatest
      eagerness, and with the most extravagant demonstration of
      affection and joy! I was bewildered, utterly lost in
      amazement—but I could not forget the peculiar whine of my
      Newfoundland dog Tiger, and the odd manner of his caresses I well
      knew. It was he. I experienced a sudden rush of blood to my
      temples—a giddy and overpowering sense of deliverance and
      reanimation. I rose hurriedly from the mattress upon which I had
      been lying, and, throwing myself upon the neck of my faithful
      follower and friend, relieved the long oppression of my bosom in
      a flood of the most passionate tears. As upon a former occasion my conceptions were in a state of the
      greatest indistinctness and confusion after leaving the mattress. For a long time I found it nearly impossible to connect any
      ideas; but, by very slow degrees, my thinking faculties returned,
      and I again called to memory the several incidents of my
      condition. For the presence of Tiger I tried in vain to account;
      and after busying myself with a thousand different conjectures
      respecting him, was forced to content myself with rejoicing that
      he was with me to share my dreary solitude, and render me comfort
      by his caresses. Most people love their dogs—but for Tiger I had
      an affection far more ardent than common; and never, certainly,
      did any creature more truly deserve it. For seven years he had
      been my inseparable companion, and in a multitude of instances
      had given evidence of all the noble qualities for which we value
      the animal. I had rescued him, when a puppy, from the clutches of
      a malignant little villain in Nantucket who was leading him, with
      a rope around his neck, to the water; and the grown dog repaid
      the obligation, about three years afterward, by saving me from
      the bludgeon of a street robber. Getting now hold of the watch, I found, upon applying it to my
      ear, that it had again run down; but at this I was not at all
      surprised, being convinced, from the peculiar state of my
      feelings, that I had slept, as before, for a very long period of
      time, how long, it was of course impossible to say. I was burning
      up with fever, and my thirst was almost intolerable. I felt about
      the box for my little remaining supply of water, for I had no
      light, the taper having burnt to the socket of the lantern, and
      the phosphorus-box not coming readily to hand. Upon finding the
      jug, however, I discovered it to be empty—Tiger, no doubt, having
      been tempted to drink it, as well as to devour the remnant of
      mutton, the bone of which lay, well picked, by the opening of the
      box. The spoiled meat I could well spare, but my heart sank as I
      thought of the water. I was feeble in the extreme—so much so that
      I shook all over, as with an ague, at the slightest movement or
      exertion. To add to my troubles, the brig was pitching and
      rolling with great violence, and the oil-casks which lay upon my
      box were in momentary danger of falling down, so as to block up
      the only way of ingress or egress. I felt, also, terrible
      sufferings from sea-sickness. These considerations determined me
      to make my way, at all hazards, to the trap, and obtain immediate
      relief, before I should be incapacitated from doing so
      altogether.