While Captain Mitchell was being led down the staircase, an
officer passed him, running up to report to Sotillo the capture of more
prisoners. A lot of smoke hung about in the vast gloomy place, the
fire crackled, and, as if through a haze, Captain Mitchell made out,
surrounded by short soldiers with fixed bayonets, the heads of three
tall prisoners--the doctor, the engineer-in-chief, and the white leonine
mane of old Viola, who stood half-turned away from the others with his
chin on his breast and his arms crossed. Mitchell's astonishment knew no
bounds. He cried out; the other two exclaimed also. But he hurried on,
diagonally, across the big cavern-like hall. Lots of thoughts, surmises,
hints of caution, and so on, crowded his head to distraction.
"Is he actually keeping you?" shouted the chief engineer, whose single
eyeglass glittered in the firelight.
An officer from the top of the stairs was shouting urgently, "Bring them
all up--all three."
In the clamour of voices and the rattle of arms, Captain Mitchell made
himself heard imperfectly: "By heavens! the fellow has stolen my watch.
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