straightening his bowed back and contracting his arms. His lips were
twisted into a snarl. Next thing we perceived was that the bar of
forged iron was being bent slowly by the mightiness of his pull. The
sun was beating full upon his cramped, unquivering figure. A shower of
sweat-drops burst out of his forehead. Watching the bar grow crooked,
I saw a little blood ooze from under his finger-nails. Then he let go.
For a moment he remained all huddled up, with a hanging head, looking
drowsily into the upturned palms of his mighty hands. Indeed he seemed
to have dozed off. Suddenly he flung himself backwards on the sill,
and setting the soles of his bare feet against the other middle bar,
he bent that one too, but in the opposite direction from the first.

"Such was his strength, which in this case relieved my painful
feelings. And the man seemed to have done nothing. Except for the
change of position in order to use his feet, which made us all start
by its swiftness, my recollection is that of immobility. But he had
bent the bars wide apart. And now he could get out if he liked; but he
dropped his legs inwards; and looking over his shoulder beckoned to
the soldiers. 'Hand up the water,' he said. 'I will give them all a
drink.'

"He was obeyed. For a moment I expected man and bucket to disappear,
overwhelmed by the rush of eagerness; I thought they would pull him
down with their teeth. There was a rush, but holding the bucket on his
lap he repulsed the assault of those wretches by the mere swinging of
his feet. They flew backwards at every kick, yelling with pain; and
the soldiers laughed, gazing at the window.

"They all laughed, holding their sides, except the sergeant, who was
gloomy and morose. He was afraid the prisoners would rise and break