for in any case? If you told, do you think such men as
these would keep their word? Dead men tell no tales."

"That's horribly true, Jack," said his father in a low voice.

The faces of the Ruby King and the half-caste had blackened with rage
upon hearing this swift, shrewd speech, which laid bare their motives
and intentions, for Jack had hit the mark fair in the centre. Saya
Chone thrust his face forward till it was within six inches of Jack's.

"Bold words," he hissed viciously, "bold words; but we shall see
before we have done with you."

At this moment there ran into the courtyard a man who panted as if he
had travelled far and fast. He bore beneath his arm a small basket
made of rushes very closely and strongly woven. The Ruby King gave a
grunt of satisfaction, and moved towards him.

Saya Chone now sprang forward and seized the collar of Jack's tunic.
He fixed both hands in it and ripped it open. Then he gripped the
collar of the flannel shirt beneath and made a snatch at that With a
grin of vicious pleasure he rent that open too, and tore a piece of
the stuff clean out. He raised his open hand and struck the bare
breast of the English lad with a resounding slap.

"Now we shall see," he cried, "now we shall see!"

At sight of this Mr. Haydon had attempted to spring forward, but half
a dozen of the iron-muscled little men had leapt at him like cats, and
kept him in his place. They hung on to him and held him a close
prisoner during the scene which followed.

Jack was little affected by the slap. He had his eyes on U Saw. He
felt strongly that the grim, silent Ruby King was the man to be feared
above all.

U Saw and the man with the basket had retired to the other side of the
fire, and a group of Kachins watched the Ruby King respectfully from a
little distance. The watching group now gave a loud murmur of wonder
and admiration, as if they had divined some superlatively clever trick
of their master's, and were applauding it. Then U Saw turned and came
across the courtyard, his right arm oddly and stiffly extended.

Jack watched him come, and wondered what it was that seemed to move
and writhe about his arm as he came. The Ruby King stepped into the
full light of the great, blazing pile, and Jack saw what it was that
moved, and felt his blood run cold within him.

Upon his right hand U Saw wore a thick leathern hunting glove, and his
right arm was heavily swathed with a woollen girdle. About his arm
th