em. The road back to the great house was taken in
silence, and Jack was thrust once more into his solitary cell. There
he spent the whole day alone, not seeing even those who thrust his
dish of meat and rice through a small trap in the door.

The afternoon had worn far on, and he was sitting on his bench deep in
thought. He had striven to keep out of his mind the spectacle he had
seen that morning, but the impression it had produced upon him was one
of such terrible power that it was before his eyes at every moment.
What did it threaten to them, to his father and himself? His mind
recoiled before the idea.

Suddenly, without a sound, the door of his cell swung back, and there
was a swift rush of naked feet on the floor. Four of the guard were
upon Jack before he could lift a finger, and at the next moment his
hands were bound behind him, and his ankles fastened together with a
rope which permitted him to walk with fair ease, but gave him no
freedom to do aught beside take short steps. Within five minutes again
he was in a procession such as he had walked in the night before.

In front once more rode Saya Chone and the Ruby King. The latter rode
on a fine white pony, and was attended by a couple of retainers, one
of whom held a huge scarlet umbrella above U Saw's head, and the other
carried his betel-box of solid silver. Jack turned his head, and saw
at first no sign of his father, but when they had gone about half a
mile, he looked back and saw his father's tall figure, conspicuous
among the short, sturdy Kachins who guarded him, among a group now
setting out from the gate.

This order of the march was kept until they reached the edge of the
slope. Down this Jack was hurried, and now saw a sight which filled
him with the gloomiest of fears. The villager still hung in his bonds,
and two yards in front of the cross to which he was bound stood two
similar crosses, each surrounded with a framework of strong cane.

Jack stiffened himself for a struggle against the horrible fate which
menaced him, but his struggles were all in vain. His enemies, small
perhaps, but many, and with muscles of iron, had him strung up to the
cross in a trice, and here he was gagged, after he had been bound
securely.

In a few moments he saw his father bound in like fashion, and then, to
his surprise, he saw a couple of men swiftly and thoroughly cover the
framework of cane around each cross with strong mosquito-netting.

"What does this me