Now he understood why they had tried to stop him.

To be thrown with all that force against those hooks meant not only certain death, but fearful mutilation.
Swiftly he drew near the wicked looking points and slowly, oh, so slowly they rose above the water.

The people watched with nervous dread.
Could they be hoisted high enough before he reached them?
Many a silent prayer was murmured that the guards would be successful.

Bravely those men strained every muscle; but the thing was unwieldy and the work was slow--fearfully slow.

The terror of the people was depicted on their faces.