IN THE HANDS OF THE PHILISTINES

The feeling of terror passed off as quickly as it had come. As the
light spread luridly over the dismal room it exposed to our hero's
gaze the unmistakable signs that the place was to be used for the
administration of tortures. Instruments and tools of all sorts lay
about in every direction, bottles were stored on a shelf in one
corner, whether containing medical material, or stuff of a more
deadly nature, George had no means of discovering. In another corner
of the dungeon stood a brick forge, with various irons scattered
about on it, which were doubtless used for branding purposes. His
attention was drawn to a pile of manacles and chains, amongst which
he detected iron collars, anklets, iron bars of enormous weight, all
cruel-looking and of dreadful portent.

In one wall was placed a series of rings with ropes attached, while
close by lay a heavy thonged lash; the nature of these things left
him in no doubt concerning their use.

As his eyes rested on them in turn, George again felt the terror
coming on him; involuntarily he trembled, and it was only by a
supreme effort he was able to cast it from him. The tension of his
feeling was so great that to relieve it he turned to his gaoler.

"But why am I brought here? They cannot torture a prisoner of war!"
he exclaimed. "But perhaps," as an idea struck him, "they intend to
frighten me."

The gaoler guffawed in a sepulchral manner at what he considered his
prisoner's simplicity; he did not understand that George was trying
to convince himself against his own better judgment.

"Frighten, eh?" he said at last, when his gruesome merriment had
ceased, "they'll not waste their time in trying to frighten a
Christian dog! These things are not for show, but use. Since the
white people came to this country, this place," he went on, with a
comprehensive sweep of his hands, "has not been used, but kept more
as a curiosity than anything else; now the Egyptians again rule,
they will once more adopt the methods of our forefathers."

"Oh, yes," replied George, with growing irritation at the man's
undisguised hatred for the white people in general, and himself in
particular, "I know all about the _mighty_ Egyptians and their
forefathers. I've heard all about that before, but it has nothing to
do with bringing me down here. What I want to know is, why I'm
brought here."

At the sneering tone George used when speaking of the Egyptians the
e