heavier something, a something fitting his back
snug and hard, he instantly determined to rebel,
despite his twisted ears. But he could not withstand
the increased pain, and he permitted the
thing to be made secure with straps around his
body. And now came a heavier something, a
free and loose weight, something with spring and
give to it, and which had flung up from the ground.
And suddenly, flaying his pained senses, understanding
flashed upon him. This was a man.
There was a tormentor upon his back, gripping
the thing in his mouth, holding him solidly to
the ground. He--

"Go!"

It was a word of command. With the word
Pat felt his ears released. As he thrilled with relief
the cloth was jerked off his eyes. For a time
the fierce daylight blinded him. Then the pupils of
his eyes contracted and all objects stood out clearly
again -- the men in the corral, the spectators on
the fence, his mistress outside the fence. Also he
saw the sunlit stable, and Miguel in the doorway,
and the house in the trees. All had come back
to him, and he stood gazing about him blinkingly,
trying to understand, conscious of straps binding
his body and restraining his breathing.

Then suddenly he understood -- remembered -- remembered
that he had been abused, had been
tortured as never before. And he awoke to the
fact that he was still being tortured. There was
this thing in his mouth. There was this contraption
on his head. There was that thing on his

[[64]]

p063 _ -chap- _ toc-1 _ p064w _ toc-2 _ +chap+ _ p065

v?