In some unaccountable way I found my hands caught together in a manner I had never known them to be before; no effort of mine could disengage them, and the exertion thus required, added to the fatigues of the day, produced a sort of paralysis of my whole system without quite losing consciousness.

I could feel my circulation become slower and finally stop; my nerves and energies became suspended, and my hands grew numb and powerless.

Even my heart ceased to beat, and the little cry of alarm which I gave just before my powers left me failed to bring me any help.

I was ill, very ill indeed; to me it seemed as if my last moment had come, and I could not bear the thought of thus early being taken from my young master, whom already I had learned to love as my best, though my roughest friend.
How long I lay thus, speechless and helpless, I cannot say.

Once I was just conscious of a slight jerk from my chain as he peeped in and whispered,-- "What are you so quiet about down there ?" Of course I could not answer.
"Do you hear?
What are you so quiet about ?" It only added to my misery to know that there was a fellow-being so close at hand, and yet that I was powerless to make him aware of my condition.