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“I shall attend to the matter immediately, sir,” Parkin replied.

Edwards continued to regard us coldly for a moment or two.

“Inform the prisoners that, in future, they may converse with one another. But let them understand this: they shall speak only in English. If I hear of as much as a single word passing between them in the Indian language, the permission I have granted shall be withdrawn.”

This information was conveyed to us through the proper channel.

“And under no circumstances whatever is any prisoner to speak to a sentinel or to any member of the ship’s company except Mr. Parkin or the corporal in charge of the guard. I shall severely punish any infringement of this order.”

Parkin was in general charge of us. I felt an instinctive aversion for this man. He was short, thickset, and excessively hairy, with eyebrows that met in an irregular line over his nose. The vice of cruelty was written plain on his face, and we had not been long in discovering the character of the man in whose power we were. Thus far he had displayed it in various small ways, but Edwards had now given him the kind of opportunity he craved. No sooner had the captain left us than Parkin himself made an inspection of our irons, beginning with Stewart, whom he ordered to lie down and stretch up his hands. He then grasped the chain connecting the handcuffs, and, placing his foot against Stewart’s chest, he strained and tugged with all his strength, succeeding at length in wrenching off the irons, taking the skin from Stewart’s knuckles and the backs of both hands as he did so. As the handcuffs came away he nearly fell over backward. In his anger, Stewart forgot his helpless position. He sprang to his feet, and had Parkin been within reach Stewart would have knocked him down.