The Argosy, Vol. 75, No. 4 — page 148: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

300 with long rows of sharp metal hooks.. The cylinder was revolved by a rough wooden handle. Before I had time to take in what they did they had _ seized Oakes, strapped him to the table, and fastened his left arm to the standards of the table below the cylinder. A negro slave gave the handle a half-turn. I saw the hooks sink deep in the arin, and my friend turned white as each hook tore its way through the sensitive tissues and came away with its mouthful of flesh. I turned faint and sick, and the sol- dier who stood near me whispered: “Speak and tell what thou knowest and so make his torture short. This is but the beginning.” In that moment the full devilishness of the whole scheme first dawned upon me. They had selected Oakes for the torture as being the best fitted to en- dure the physical pain and the least likely of us to give way under mental terrors. Me they had chosen as being more likely to be impressed by what I should see, and they thought that the sight of the sufferings of my companion would loose my tongue. It is likely that this would have been true had [ aught to tell; but I knew nothing, and so could but close my eyes and bite my lips. dagger-point made me promptly open my eyes again as the clerk said sourly: “<eep thine eyes open or we will close them forever by simply passing a red-hot bow] before them.” After ten minutes that seemed a life- time to me they released Oakes and let him stagger back with me to our cell. Also, they gave us food and a cup of wine, and, with a growling caution that we be more ready to talk upon the mor- row, left us to our own devices. The arm was exceedingly painful, but it was not seriously hurt; but we knew now that this was but the fore- runner of worse upon the morrow. A sharp prick in the neck from a , THER ARGOSY. I suspected that fever had already set in when Oakes stopped me when I was half through bandaging the wound by saying: “ This settles it, lad. I have heard that the Spaniard could give lessons to the devil in cruelty, but this passes all. We will leave here to- night. Even if they kill us, it is better to be killed in fight than to be tor- tured. Use thy brains and help me to a plan.” We discussed many plans that would have been feasible could. we once get beyond the walls of the fortalice, but all came back to that. Finally Oakes said: “ The main thing is to get the sentry within the room and far enough from the door to give us a chance to overpower him. He never comes two feet within the doorway. Center thy mind on that, lad. ‘That is the milk in the coconut.” “T have it!” I shouted. “I have it!’’ I pointed to the window. He looked at me suspiciously as I sat down upon the floor and proceeded to remove my small clothes. “ Now, give me the straw from the bedding.” He brought it, and in a moment I had filled my breeches with it till, as [ held them up, they looked better than they ever did when I myself stood in them. — 7 “What now?” he asked. I took the stockings and the shoes and stuffed them, too, with straw, tying them firmly to their proper places at the bottom of the legs of the breeches. The effigy thus made we carried it to the window and laid it in the opening, with the back toward the door, so that in the half dusk it looked for all the world as though a man was in the act of climbing out of the em- brasure. “Well, what now?” “ Not a thing,’ I said. “ Sit behind the door and watch. It is near time for the guard to bring us our supper. When he opens the door he will see neither you nor me; only that figure in the embrasure of the window, which ~> —comicbooks (E)