I was listening with a feeling of gratitude that this man spoke differently from the others, and he saw my eyes fixed upon him.
“Do you speak German?” he asked sharply.
“No,” I replied; “but I understood you just now.”
He nodded, and then turned to the others to speak in a low tone. The result of this was that two of the men knelt down and set our arms free, placing them before us, for they were perfectly numb and dead. Mine looked as if the thongs had cut almost to the bone, the muscle having swollen greatly.
The party then went out at the back; but my captor, who was last, turned back and said:
“There are two sentries with loaded rifles at each end, and they have orders to fire.”
“What did he say, Val?” asked Denham as soon as we were alone.
I told him, and he laughed softly.
“What is it?” I said wonderingly.
“I was only thinking,” he replied. Then quickly, “Will they bind our hands again—at the last?”