This hall was chosen for Neranya’s permanent abiding-place; here was
he to stay as long as he might live, without ever a glimpse of the
face of nature or the glorious heavens. To one of his restless,
nervous, energetic, discontented nature, the cruelty of such
confinement was worse than death; but there was more yet of
suffering in store for him, for at the rajah’s order there was
constructed a small iron pen, in which Neranya was to be kept. This
pen was circular and about four feet in diameter. It was elevated on
four slender iron posts, ten feet from the floor, and was placed
half-way between the fountain and the balcony. Around the edge of
the pen was erected an iron railing, four feet high, but the top was
left open for the convenience of the servants whose duty it should
be to care for him. These precautions for his safe confinement were
taken at my suggestion, for, although the man was deprived of all
four of his limbs, I still feared that he might develop some
extraordinary, unheard-of power for mischief. It was provided that
the attendants should reach his cage by means of a movable ladder.
All these arrangements having been made and Neranya hoisted into his
prison, the rajah emerged upon the balcony to see him, and the two
deadly enemies faced each other. The rajah’s stern face paled at the
hideous sight which met his gaze, but he soon recovered, and the
old, hard, cruel, sinister look returned. Neranya, by an
extraordinary motion, had wriggled himself into an upright position,
his back propped against the railing. His black hair and beard had
grown long, and they added to the natural ferocity of his aspect.
Upon seeing the rajah his eyes blazed with a terrible light, his
lips parted, and he gasped for breath. His face was white with rage
and despair, and his thin, distended nostrils quivered.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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