As the pirate prepared for each blow Eloise saw the hammer raised above her head and sweep down towards her face, just missing it each time it struck the collar fastening; jerking the hard ring so it cut the skin of her neck while the resounding ring deafened her. Tears came to Eloise’s eyes as she watched a rope passed around Michel’s chest and two large Negroes callously hauled him up by it, dragging him up and over the vessel’s starboard bow ripping half his shirt away as they pulled him aboard. XXX Eloise saw the pain on the boy’s tormented face from the effort he was putting in and wished she could go to him to comfort him. Eloise was too weak to stand unaided without soldiers holding her arms., two more roughly grabbed and lifted her legs and carried her to the edge of
