ooking instruments.
Some of these Frobisher recognised through having read about them in
books, but of others he could not possibly guess the use. Their shapes
and forms were, however, so dreadfully suggestive that he felt it to be
a mercy that he was ignorant of the more subtle and refined forms of
Oriental torture, otherwise he would soon lose his reason in
contemplation of the frightful uses to which those instruments could be
put.

Also, strewn about the floor, in such profusion as to leave little room
for anything else, were larger implements, whose use Frobisher was
fortunately unable to guess at; while in the two corners of the room
there were piles of variously-shaped knives and swords which he guessed
the torturers were wont to employ in the discharge of their ghastly
business, among which he recognised the long, razor-edged weapon used
for administering the terrible "death of the thousand cuts", also a
sword with a saw, instead of smooth edge, and a big, broad-bladed, keen
knife or short, heavy sword, used upon those victims who were lucky
enough to be sentenced to a quick death by beheading. To Frobisher it
seemed that merely to immure a prisoner in such a ghastly museum was in
itself an act of torture which might easily drive a less well-balanced
man than himself mad within a very few hours.

One thing that rather astonished him was the fact of those swords being
left lying loose in the cell. Surely, rather than submit to the tender
mercies of a Korean torturer, any prisoner, however weak or timid, would
arm himself with one of them and die fighting, or even put an end to his
own existence, rather than have his life wrung from him inch by inch and
minute by minute in agony indescribable! At any rate it did not take
Frobisher a moment to determine that when the end should come he would
take the long weapon used for the "thousand cuts" and, standing in the
middle of the chamber where he could have a clear sweep for the sword,
fight his enemies to the death.

He strode over to the corner and drew the weapon he had selected out of
its scabbard. It had a long handle, permitting two hands to be
employed, and the blade was made of very highly-tempered steel, as stiff
and springless as an English razor, and as keen. It was about four feet
in length and quite two inches wide, and the steel at the back was fully
a quarter of an inch thick. There was a very slight curve in the blade,
and the point was sharply