Dr. Gresham was the first to speak; his excitement now had left him, and he was cool and commanding.
“Let us get back to the Albatross,” he said, “as quickly as we can!”
On board the destroyer, the doctor again cautioned Commander Mitchell about keeping a sharp lookout and allowing no lights anywhere.
Then the scientist and I hastened to our cabin, where Chinese suits of gorgeous silk had been laid out for us; they were part of the quantity of such garments my six tailors had been making. There were two outfits for each—one of flaming orange, which we put on first, and one of dark blue, which we slipped on over the other. Then one of the actors was summoned, and he made up our faces so skillfully that it would have been difficult to distinguish us from Chinamen.
When the actor had left the room, the doctor handed me the revolvers I had carried before, and also a long, villainous-looking knife. To these he added a pair of field glasses. After similarly arming himself, he announced:
“I feel I must warn you, Arthur, that this trip may be the most perilous of your whole life. All the chances are against our living to see tomorrow’s sun, and if we die it is likely to be by the most fiendish torture ever devised by human beings! Think well before you start!”
I promptly assured him I was willing to go wherever he might lead.
“But where,” I asked, “is that to be?”
“We are going,” he answered, “into the hell-pits of the Seuen-H’sin!”
And with that we entered the launch and put off into the coming darkness.