He wisely checked himself in the train of useless thought at this point. Then he sat down on the floor, covered his face with his hands, and tried to pray, but could not. Starting up, he again paced wildly about the cell like a caged tiger. After what seemed to him an age he heard footsteps in the outer court. The door opened, and the sailor was thrust in. Staggering forward a step or two, he was on the point of falling when Miles caught him in his arms, and let him sink gently on the ground, and, sitting down beside him, laid his head upon his knee. From the inflamed red mark which encircled the seaman's powerful neck, it was obvious enough that the cruel monsters had again put him to the tremendous mental agony of supposing that his last hour had come. "Help me up, lad, and set my back agin the wall," he said, in a low voice. As Miles complied, one or two tears that would not be repressed fell from his eyes on the sailor's cheek. "You're a good fellow," said Molloy, looking up. "I thank the Lord for sendin' you to comfort me, and I _do_ need comfort a bit just now, d'ee know. There--I'm better a'ready, an' I'll be upside wi' them next time, for I feels, somehow, that I couldn't stand another turn. Poor Moses! I do hope that the interpreter is the liar he looks, and that they haven't treated the poor fellow to this sort o' thing." Even while he spoke, the door of the cell again opened and armed men entered. "Ay, here you are," cried the sailor, rising quickly and attempting to draw himself up and show a bold front. "Come away an' welcome. I'm ready for 'ee." But the men had not come for Molloy. They wanted Miles, over whom there came a sudden and dreadful feeling of horror, as he thought they were perhaps going to subject him to the same ordeal as his friend. "Keep up heart, lad, and trust in the Lord," said the sailor, in an encouraging tone as they led our hero away. The words were fitly spoken, and went far to restore to the poor youth the courage that for a moment had forsaken him. As he emerged into the bright light, which dazzled him after the darkness of his prison-house, he thought of the Sun of Righteousness, and of the dear mother who had sought so earnestly to lead him to God in his boyhood. One thing that greatly encouraged him was the fact that no rope had been put round his neck, as had been done to Molloy, and he also observed that his guards did not treat him roughly. Moreover, they led him in quite a different direction from the open place where he well knew that criminals were executed. He glanced at the interpreter who marched beside him, and thought for a moment of asking him what might be his impending fate, but the man's look was so forbidding that he forbore to speak.