Withtheelectrictorchinhishandhestrucktheforemostofthemsofuriouslyinthefacethatthemanstumbledandrolledoverontheslimygrass;butthetorchwasbrokenandextinguished，leavingeverythinginadenserobscurity。Heflunganothermanflatagainstthetemplewall，sothatheslidtotheground;butathirdandfourthcarriedFisheroffhisfeetandbegantobearhim，struggling，towardthedoorway。Eveninthebewildermentofthebattlehewasconsciousthatthedoorwasstandingopen。Somebodywassummoningtheroughsfrominside。
Themomenttheywerewithintheyhurledhimuponasortofbenchorbedwithviolence，butnodamage;forthesettee，orwhateveritwas，seemedtobecomfortablycushionedforhisreception。Theirviolencehadinitagreatelementofhaste，andbeforehecouldrisetheyhadallrushedforthedoortoescape。Whateverbanditstheywerethatinfestedthisdesertisland，theywereobviouslyuneasyabouttheirjobandveryanxioustobequitofit。Hehadtheflyingfancythatregularcriminalswouldhardlybeinsuchapanic。Thenextmomentthegreatdoorcrashedtoandhecouldheartheboltsshriekastheyshotintotheirplace，andthefeetoftheretreatingmenscamperingandstumblingalongthecauseway。Butrapidlyasithappened，itdidnothappenbeforeFisherhaddonesomethingthathewantedtoto。Unabletorisefromhissprawlingattitudeinthatflashoftime，hehadshotoutoneofhislonglegsandhookeditroundtheankleofthelastmandisappearingthroughthedoor。Themanswayedandtoppledoverinsidetheprisonchamber，andthedoorclosedbetweenhimandhisfleeingcompanions。Clearlytheywereintoomuchhastetorealizethattheyhadleftoneoftheircompanybehind。
Themansprangtohisfeetagainandhammeredandkickedfuriouslyatthedoor。Fisher’ssenseofhumorbegantorecoverfromthestruggleandhesatuponhissofawithsomethingofhisnativenonchalance。Butashelistenedtothecaptivecaptorbeatingonthedooroftheprison，anewandcuriousreflectioncametohim。
Thenaturalcourseforamanthuswishingtoattracthisfriends’attentionwouldbetocallout，toshoutaswellaskick。Thismanwasmakingasmuchnoiseashecouldwithhisfeetandhands，butnotasoundcamefromhisthroat。Whycouldn’thespeak？
Atfirsthethoughtthemanmightbegagged，whichwasmanifestlyabsurd。Thenhisfancyfellbackontheuglyideathatthemanwasdumb。Hehardlyknewwhyitwassouglyanidea，butitaffectedhisimaginationinadarkanddisproportionatefashion。