After a look in through
the grating, and followed closely by three of the marines with their
rifles ready, we walked in to where the prisoners were squatted upon
their heels all round close up against the bulkheads, bandaged terribly
about the faces and necks, and with their fierce eyes glowering at us.

I had expected to find them lying about like wounded men, but, bad as
several were, they all occupied this sitting position, and glared at us
in a way that told us very plainly how unsafe it would be to trust our
lives in their keeping even for a minute.

"Beg pardon, sir," whispered the corporal of marines, who was carrying a
lantern; "better be on the look-out."

"Oh yes," said Mr Reardon. "We shall not stay. I only wanted a look
round. Look sharp, Mr Herrick, and see what you want of them."

"Doctor was dressing that farthest chap's head, sir," whispered the
corporal to me; "and as soon as he was about done, the fellow watched
his chance and fixed his teeth in the dresser's arm, and wouldn't let go
till--"

"Well? Till what?" said Mr Reardon, gazing fixedly at the brutal
countenance of one of the men right before us.

"We had to persuade him to let go."

"Humph!" ejaculated the lieutenant. "Wild-beast."

"How did you persuade him?" I whispered.

"With the butt-end of a rifle, sir; and then we had to wrench his teeth
open with bayonets."

I looked round from face to face, all ghastly from their wounds, to see
in every one a fierce pair of eyes glaring at me with undying hatred,
and I was wondering how it was that people could think of the Chinese as
being a calm, bland, good-humoured Eastern race, when Mr Reardon said
to me--

"Nearly ready, Herrick? The sight of these men completely takes away
all compunction as to the way we treat them."

"Yes, sir; and it makes one feel glad that they are not armed."

"Ready to come away?"

"Yes, sir," I said; "quite."

"Come along, then."

He took a step towards the door, when the corporal said, "Beg pardon,
sir; better back out."

"Eh? oh, nonsense!" said the lieutenant, without changing his position,
while I, though I began to feel impressed with the glaring eyes, and to
feel that the sooner we were out of the place the pleasanter it would
be, thought that it would be rather undignified on the part of officers
to show the wretches that we were afraid of them.

Just then Mr Reardon glanced sidewise to where one of the men on our
left crouched near