Still keeping behind the houses he made his way until he got within view of the fire.

Here he saw a sight which thrilled him with horror.

Some eight or ten peasants and forty or fifty women were yelling and shouting.

Fastened against a post in front of the fire were the remains of a prisoner.

He had been stripped, his ears, nose, hands, and feet cut off, and he was slowly bleeding to death.
Four other men, bound hand and foot, lay close to the fire.