"His orders are from Washington--mine are from him."

"But he can telegraph--there must be some mistake--no such outrage is on
record in the history of nations--"

"My orders are peremptory."

"You shall not inflict on me and on my people through me this insult
worse than death. I will not submit to it!"

"I sincerely trust, sir," the Captain urged kindly, "that you will not
compel me to use force."

"I am a gentleman and a soldier, Captain Titlow," was the stern answer.
"I know how to die--" he paused and pointed to the sentinel who stood
ready. "Let your men shoot me at once--I will not submit to this
outrage!"

The prisoner backed away with his hand on a chair and stood waiting.

The Captain turned to his blacksmiths:

"Do your duty--put them on him!"

[Illustration: "'Do your duty--put them on him'"]

As the workman bent with his chain Davis hurled him to the other side of
the cell and lifted his chair.

The sentinel cocked and lowered his musket advancing on the prisoner who
met him defiantly with bared breast.

The Captain sprang between them:

"Put down your gun. I'll give you orders to fire when necessary."

He turned to the officer at the door:

"Bring in four of your strongest men--unarmed--you understand?"

"Yes, sir--"

The men entered, sprang on their helpless victim, bore him to the floor,
pinned him down with their heavy bodies and held him securely while the
blacksmiths riveted the chains on one leg and fastened the clasp on the
other with a heavy padlock.

He had resented this cowardly insult for himself and his people. He had
resisted with the hope that he might be killed before it was
accomplished. He saw now with clear vision that the purpose of his
jailer was to torture him to death. His proud spirit rose in fierce
rebellion. He would cheat them of their prey. They might take his life
but it should be done under the forms of law in open day. He would live.
His will would defy death. He would learn to sleep with the tramp of
three sets of sentinels in his ears. He would eat their coarse food at
whatever cost to his feelings. He would learn to bury his face in his
bedding to avoid the rays of the lamp with which they were trying to
blind him.

He had need of all his fierce resolution.

He had resolved to ask no favors, but his suffering had been so acute,
his determination melted at the doctor's kind expressions.

The physician found him stretched on his pallet, horribly