Now by reason of
much practice they do become very expert with these same whips,
insomuch that they shall (with a certain cunning flick of the lash)
gash you a man as it were with a knife, the like of which none may bear
and not cry out for the exceeding pain of it. "Ha, thou lazy dog!"
cries he, "Think ye to snore and take your ease whiles Pedro is
aboard?" And with the word the long lash hissed and cracked upon the
Frenchman's naked back like a pistol-shot.

And lo! he (that meseemed was dead) stirred. I felt the scarred body
leap and quiver, the swooning eyes opened, rolling dim and sightless
and the pallid face was twisted in sharp anguish; but, even as I
watched, the lines of agony were smoothed away, into the wild eyes came
a wondrous light, and uttering a great, glad cry he sank forward across
the oar-shaft and hung there. Hereupon this accursed Pedro betook him
to his whip, smiting right heartily, but, seeing the Frenchman stirred
not and perceiving, moreover, the blood to come but slow and in no
great quantity, he presently desisted and bade us cease rowing one and
all.

This sudden respite from labour served but to teach me how stiff and
painful were my limbs, more especially my left wrist and ankle where
the fetters had worn great sores.

The wind was fallen light and there rose that hot, sickening reek, that
suffocating stench that is like unto nothing on earth save one of these
floating hells, and the which, if a man hath but smelled it once, he
shall nevermore forget.

After some while, back cometh Pedro with certain of the armourers, and
(having by divers methods learned the Frenchman was in sooth dead) they
struck off his fetters, hand and leg, in the doing of which they must
needs free me also (since we were chained together, he and I) and,
binding a great shot to his feet, made ready to heave him overboard.

And now, seeing no man heeded me, I snapped asunder the cracked link
and was free, save for the heavy chain that cumbered my leg. Stooping,
I lifted this chain and crouched to spring for the bulwark; but now
(even in this moment), remembering all that I had suffered at the hands
of this most accursed Pedro, I turned, and wrapping the broken
oar-chain about my fist, crept towards where he stood to oversee the
armourers. His back was towards me and I was within a yard of him when
he turned, and, seeing me, uttered a shout and raised his whip, but ere
the blow could fall I leapt and smote