They expected the soldiers that night, but they did not come. In the morning they were as heavy as after a severe drinking bout.
The monk’s vigilant eye was everywhere. To those who grew despondent and timid, he gave little balls of dark scented paste (which most likely contained a stupefying poison). Swallowing these caused a sort of mad ecstasy; the weakest no longer dreaded the fire, but raved about it as heavenly bliss.
To give themselves courage they told each other tales about the voluntary death of starvation, which was supposed to be much more terrible than death by fire.
These martyrs were placed in an empty hut, without doors and windows, furnished only with benches. To prevent their killing themselves all garments were taken from them, even the belt and cross. They were let into the hut through the roof, and the hole was fastened up so that no one could escape. Guards armed with clubs were posted around the hut. Their torments lasted three to six days; they wept, praying, “Give us to drink,” they bit their own bodies and cursed God. Once twenty people were locked up thus in a threshing barn; weary of waiting they succeeded in breaking one of the boards and crept out; but the guards knocked them on the head with their clubs and killed two; then closing the opening up, they reported what had happened to the leading monk, asking what they had better do. He ordered straw to be put round the barn and then kindled.
“The Red Death is infinitely easier,” concluded the speakers, “it is so quick that there is no feeling.”
But a small girl of seven, who had been sitting quietly on the bench and listening attentively, suddenly began to tremble, and jumping up, rushed to her mother, caught hold of her skirt, and cried in a piercing voice:—
“Mamma, mamma, come, come away! I don’t want to be burned!”
The mother tried in vain to quiet her, but she continued crying louder still:—
“I don’t want to burn, I don’t!”
And such animal terror was in that scream that all shuddered, realizing the horror of what was about to happen.