"A man
locked up in a confounded dark hole is not much use to anybody."

"As to old Viola," the doctor continued, as though he had not heard,
"Sotillo released him for the same reason he is presently going to
release you."

"Eh? What?" exclaimed Captain Mitchell, staring like an owl in the
darkness. "What is there in common between me and old Viola? More likely
because the old chap has no watch and chain for the pickpocket to steal.
And I tell you what, Dr. Monygham," he went on with rising choler, "he
will find it more difficult than he thinks to get rid of me. He will
burn his fingers over that job yet, I can tell you. To begin with, I
won't go without my watch, and as to the rest--we shall see. I dare say
it is no great matter for you to be locked up. But Joe Mitchell is a
different kind of man, sir. I don't mean to submit tamely to insult and
robbery. I am a public character, sir."

And then Captain Mitchell became aware that the bars of the opening had
become visible, a black grating upon a square of grey. The coming of the
day silenced Captain Mitchell as if by the reflection that now in all
the future days he would be deprived of the invaluable services of his
Capataz. He leaned against the wall with his arms folded on his breast,
and the doctor walked up and down the whole length of the place with his
peculiar hobbling gait, as if slinking about on damaged feet. At the end
furthest from the grating he would be lost altogether in the darkness.
Only the slight limping shuffle could be heard. There was an air of
moody detachment in that painful prowl kept up without a pause. When the
door of the prison was suddenly flung open and his name shouted out he
showed no surprise. He swerved sharply in his walk, and passed out
at once, as though much depended upon his speed; but Captain Mitchell
remained for some time with his shoulders against the wall, quite
undecided in the bitterness of his spirit whether it wouldn't be better
to refuse to stir a limb in the way of protest. He had half a mind to
get himself carried out, but after the officer at the door had
shouted three or four times in tones of remonstrance and surprise he
condescended to walk out.

Sotillo's manner had changed. The colonel's off-hand civility was
slightly irresolute, as though he were in doubt if civility were the
proper course in this case. He observed Captain Mitchell attentively
before he spoke from the big armchair behind the table in a
con