"Wait, I show you." He had been standing with hands behind his back and now I saw that he held in them the cut thongs that had bound Huldricksson.

They were blood-stained and each ended in a broad leather tip skilfully spliced into the cord.

"Look," he said, pointing to these leather ends.

I looked and saw in them deep indentations of teeth.

I snatched one of the thongs and opened the mouth of the unconscious man on the bunk.