ently they were sworn to silence. However, we persuaded them to
bring us water to wash in. It came, and with it a polished piece of
metal, such as the Abati use for a looking-glass, in which we saw our
faces, the terrible, wasted faces of those who have gone within a hair's
breadth of death by starvation in the dark.

Yet although our gaolers would say nothing, something in their aspect
told us that we were in sore peril of our lives. They looked at us
hungrily, as a terrier looks at rats in a wire cage of which the door
will presently be opened. Moreover, Roderick, who, as I think I have
said, has very quick ears, overheard one of the attendants whisper to
another:

"When does our service on these hounds of Gentiles come to an end?" to
which his fellow answered, "The Council has not yet decided, but I think
to-morrow or the next day, if they are strong enough. It will be a great
show."

Also that evening, about sunset, we heard a mob shouting outside the
barrack in which we were imprisoned, for that was its real use, "Give us
the Gentiles! Give us the Gentiles! We are tired of waiting," until at
length some soldiers drove them away.

Well, we talked the thing over, only to conclude that there was nothing
to be done. We had no friend in the place except Maqueda, and she,
it appeared, was a prisoner like ourselves, and therefore could not
communicate with us. Nor could we see the slightest possibility of
escape.

"Out of the frying-pan into the fire," remarked Higgs gloomily. "I wish
now that they had let us die in the cave. It would have been better than
being baited to death by a mob of Abati."

"Yes," answered Oliver with a sigh, for he was thinking of Maqueda, "but
that's why they saved us, the vindictive beasts, to kill us for what
they are pleased to call high treason."

"High treason!" exclaimed Higgs. "I hope to goodness their punishment
for the offence is not that of mediaeval England; hanging is bad
enough--but the rest----!"

"I don't think the Abati study European history," I broke in; "but it
is no use disguising from you that they have methods of their own. Look
here, friends," I added, "I have kept something about me in case
the worst should come to the worst," and I produced a little bottle
containing a particularly swift and deadly poison done up into tabloids,
and gave one to each of them. "My advice is," I added, "that if you see
we are going to be exposed to torture or to any dreadful form o