eyeing the captives with the same interest
they would have felt as to unknown and dangerous beasts; they laughed
and joked, passed remarks upon them, and even poked them with sticks.
Fothergill, furious at this treatment, caught one of the sticks, and
wrenching it from the hands of the Chinaman tried to strike at him
through the bars, a proceeding which excited shouts of laughter from the
bystanders.

"I think, Jack," Percy said, "it will be best to try and keep our
tempers and not to seem to mind what they do to us, then if they find
they can't get any fun out of us they will soon leave us alone."

"Of course, that's the best plan," Fothergill agreed, "but it's not so
easy to follow. That fellow very nearly poked out my eye with his stick,
and no one's going to stand that if he can help it."

It was some hours before the curiosity of the village was satisfied.
When all had paid who were likely to do so, the guards broke up their
circle, and leaving two of their number at the cage to see that no
actual harm was caused to their prisoners, the rest went off to a
refreshment house. The place of the elders was now taken by the boys
and children of the village, who crowded round the cage, prodded the
prisoners with sticks, and, putting their hands through the bars, pulled
their ears and hair. This amusement, however, was brought to an abrupt
conclusion by Fothergill suddenly seizing the wrist of a big boy and
pulling his arm through the cage until his face was against the bars;
then he proceeded to punch him until the guard, coming to his rescue,
poked Fothergill with his stick until he released his hold.

The punishment of their comrade excited neither anger nor resentment
among the other boys, who yelled with delight at his discomfiture,
but it made them more careful in approaching the cage, and though they
continued to poke the prisoners with sticks they did not venture again
to thrust a hand through the bars. At sunset the guards again came
round, lifted the cage and carried it into a shed. A platter of dirty
rice and a jug of water were put into the cage; two of the men lighted
their long pipes and sat down on guard beside it, and, the doors being
closed, the captives were left in peace.

"If this sort of thing is to go on, as I suppose it is," Fothergill
said, "the sooner they cut off our heads the better."

"It is very bad, Jack. I am sore all over with those probes from their
sharp sticks."

"I don't care for