Presently the huts were deserted. All the people were on duty elsewhere.
Such bees as were not guarding the fields had returned to the hives.
Rolla and Cunora cautiously ventured forth, taking great care to avoid
being seen. They hurried fearfully to the stream.
Before they reached the spot Rolla gave an exclamation and stared
curiously to one side, where the tree had been dragged. Suddenly she
gave a terrible cry and rushed forward, only to drop on her knees and
cover her face with hands that shook as with the palsy. At the same
instant Cunora saw what had been done; and uttering a single piercing
scream, fell fainting to the ground.
Heaped in front of the two prisoners was a large pile of pebbles. There
were thousands upon thousands in the heap. Before each man, at a
distance of a foot, was a large gourdful of water. To the savages, these
told the whole story; these, together with the tree dragged to one side.
Corrus and Dulnop were to be buried in that spot every day for as many
days as there were pebbles in the heap; in other words, until they died.
Every night they would be dug up, and every morning buried afresh. And
to keep them from telling any of the villagers where they had found the
pyrites, they were to be deprived of water all day long.
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