Page:Life, strange voyages, and uncommon adventures of Ambrose Gwinett.pdf/4

4 How long I slept, I cannot exactly determine, but I conjectured it was about three o’clock in the morning when I awaked with the cholic, attended with the most violent gripes; I attributed this to some bacon and cabbage I had eaten that day for dinner, after which I drank a large draught of milk. I found my chum awake as well as myself; he asked me what was the matter? I informed him, and at the same time begged he would direct me to the necessary. He told me, when I was down stairs I must turn on my right hand and go straight into the garden, at the end of which it was, just over the sea; "but, adds he, you may possibly find some difficulty in opening the door, the string being broke which pulls up the latch, I will give you a pen-knife, with which you may open it, through a small chink in the boards." So saying, he put his hand into his waistcoat pocket, which lay over him on the bed, and gave me a middling-sized pen-knife.

I hurried on a few of my clothes and went down stairs; but I must observe to you, that unclasping the pen-knife, to open the door of the necessary, according to direction, a piece of money, which stuck between the blade and the grove in the handle, fell into my hand: I did not examine what it was, nor indeed could I well see, there being then but very faint moon light, so I put them together carelessly into my pocket.

I apprehend I staid in the garden pretty near half an hour, (for I was extremely ill) and by overheating myself with walking the preceding day, had brought on the piles; a disorder I was subject to from my youth. These seemed trifling circumstances, but afterwards turned out of infinite consequence to me.—When I returned to the chamber, I was surprised to find my bed-fellow gone; I called