A few coarse pieces of bread were also thrust between his lips; these he swallowed painfully, for his jaws were stiff and aching, and his teeth had almost forgotten their cunning.

However, when the meal was over he felt better, and would gladly have slept upon it for an hour or two, had he been allowed.
But this was no part of his captors' programme.

They had not relaxed his bonds to indulge any such luxurious craving.

Overstone Church had already sounded eleven, and they were due in an hour at the mountain shed.
"Get up and step out," said one of them, pulling the boy roughly to his feet.
"All very well," said Percy to himself, as he stumbled forward on his cramped limbs; "they'll have to give me a leg up if they want me to go the pace.

Where are we going to next, I'd like to know ?" "Come, stir yourself," said the man again, accompanying his words by a rough shake.
Percy responded by toppling over on his face.