He was surprised at the strength left in him, and also at a fury which he had never felt before in his life.

A few of the prisoners roused themselves listlessly and laughed.

He kicked the two fellows out of the way and lay down again.
Later in the morning he witnessed the game they had meant to play with him.

One of his comrades, a wretched boy, blue with starvation, denied them money, for the simple reason that he had none in his pocket.

Four of the old hands thereupon produced a filthy counterpane of coarse cloth and stretched their victim upon it.
Then each took a corner, and raising it as high as they could reach, they let the counterpane fall on the stone flooring with a horrible thud.