MY FAT FELLOW PASSENGER. 47 



I awoke in the night with a dreadful feeling of 

 suffocation ; cold perspiration stood on my forehead, 

 and I could hardly draw my breath ; there was a weight 

 like lead on my stomach and chest. I attempted to 

 cry out in vain ; I lay almost without consciousness. 

 At last I became quite awake, and remembered where 

 I was, and in what circumstances I was placed. The 

 weight remained immovable ; above me was a, noise 

 like distant thunder: it was my companion of the 

 upper story, who lay snoring over my head ; and that 

 the weight which pressed on my chest was caused by 

 his body no longer remained a doubtful point. I en- 

 deavored to move the Colossus impossible. I tried 

 to push, to cry out in vain, lie lay like a rock on 

 my chest, and seemed to have no more feeling. As 

 all my attempts to awaken him were ineffectual, I 

 bethought me of my breastpin, which luckily I had 

 not taken out of my cravat the night before ; with 

 great difficulty I succeeded in moving my arm and 

 reaching the pin, which I pressed with a firm hand 

 into the mass above me. There was a sudden move- 

 ment, which procured me momentary relief; but the 

 movement soon subsided, the weight was growing 

 heavier and more insupportable, and to prevent being 

 utterly crushed, I was obliged to reapply the pin. 

 " What 's that ? " Murder ! " Help ! " cried a deep 

 bass voice, above me. Feeling myself free, I slipped 

 like an eel from under the weight, and saw, by the 

 dim light reflected from a lamp hanging under the 

 deck, a sight of no common occurrence. A stout 

 heavy man, who slept in the, upper frame without a 

 mattress, was too much for the well-worn canvas ; 



