Lives of Alcyone

opportunity than this time when all the savages were overcome with
heavy sleep. An armed man was guarding the hut into which they
had been thrown, but he also had eaten enormously, and they had
good reason to hope that presently he might slumber like the rest.
Unfortunately they were securely bound, as indeed they had been
ever since their capture, their bonds being partially relaxed for a few
moments only when food was brought to them. Also they were
naked, and entirely without weapons of any kind, everything having
been torn away from them.
Alcyone cared little for his life now that his sons were dead,
and had he been alone he would probably have made no effort to
escape the impending fate; but when he said something of that sort
to the sailor, the latter—though speaking very hesitatingly and
respectfully—tried to cheer him up, and asked whether there were
not other dear ones at home in India for whom it might be worth
while to live. This reminded him of his father and mother, his wife
and Mizar, and he thought how sad they would be if death overtook
him, so for their sake he roused himself to listen to the plans which
the sailor suggested. The first necessity was to get free somehow
from their bonds, which were very painful, and it had to be done
silently, as the guard was only a few feet from them. The sailor had
various schemes, but they all involved springing upon the guard
(unless he accommodatingly fell asleep), overpowering or even
killing him, and then making a rush for the shore, and seizing the
first boat that came in their way; for they agreed that escape inland
was an impossibility, as they could never maintain themselves, nor
hide themselves from the savages.
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