ey fell to plucking his hair, and even to beating
him--and they tried to force the spirit into his mouth, but he kept his
teeth clenched; and the very smell of the fiery stuff made his brain
sick. But he could nor stir hand or foot; and presently there came into
his mind a great blackness of anger, so that he seemed to be in the very
grip of the evil one; and he knew in his heart that if he had been
unbound, he would have slain one or more of them; for his heart beat
thick, and there came a strange redness into his sight, and he gnashed
his teeth for rage; at which they mocked him the more. But at last the
old man came down into the cabin, and when he saw what they were at, he
spoke very angrily to them, stamping his foot; and it seemed as though
he alone had any authority, for they left off ill-using David, and went
from him one by one.

Then, after a while they began to nod in their places; one or two of
them cast themselves into beds made in the wall; others fell on the
floor, and slept like beasts; and at last they all slept; and last of
all the old man came in again, bearing a lamp, and looked round the room
in a sort of angry disgust. Then he said a word to David, and opening a
door went on into a cabin beyond, closing the door behind him.

Then, in the low light of the smoking lamp, and in the hot and reeking
room, with the foul breathing of the sleepers round him, David spent a
very dreadful hour. He had never in the old days seen so ill a scene;
and it was to him, exhausted by pain and by rage, as if a dark thing
came behind him, and whispered in his secret ear that God regarded not
men at all, and that the evil was stronger than the good, and prevailed.
He tried to put the thought away; but it came all the more instantly,
that what he had seen could not be, if God had indeed power to rule. It
was not only the scene itself, but the thought of what these men were,
and the black things they had doubtless done, the deeds of murder,
cruelty, and lust that were written plainly on all their faces; all
these came like dark shadows and gathered about him.

David stirred a little to ease himself of his pain and stiffness; and
his foot struck against a thing. He looked down, and saw in the shadow
of the table a knife lying, which had fallen from some man's belt. A
thought of desperate joy came into his mind. He bent himself down with
his bound hands, and he contrived to gather up the knife. Then, very
swiftly and deftl