s down in turn. "No can go now.
Allee gate fasten. Makee blave velly angly and dlaw sword; fightee
fightee. Ching velly solly. Must stop now."

There was a low hissing noise all about us, and threatening looks, while
a fierce man in embroidered silk said something in his own tongue to
Ching, who answered humbly, and then tamed to us and whispered--

"Small-button mandalin say make big-button peacock-feather mandalin
velly angly. You no sit still. Sh! sh!"

"We must sit it out, boys," I said, with a shudder; "but we need not
look."

My words were quite correct to a certain extent, but as my companions,
who now looked more ghastly than ever, sank back in their seats, I felt
compelled to gaze across to where I could now see a red table exactly
facing me. Then a movement to the right caught my attention, and
through the far gateway, and lowering it a little as he passed under the
archway, rode an officer with a yellow silk banner, upon which were
large black Chinese characters. Behind him came some more
showily-dressed officials; and then, in a kind of sedan chair, one whom
I at once saw to be the chief mandarin, for whom we had been waiting.

He was carried across to the front, where he alighted and walked slowly
across to the red table, followed by sword, spear, and matchlock men,
who, as he took his place at the table, ranged themselves on either side
facing us, and completing a spectacle that, seen there in the bright
light, strongly suggested the opening of some grand pantomime.

I remember thinking this, and then shuddering at the horrible thought,
and at the same time I began wondering at the intense interest I could
not help taking in what was going on.

Two more grandees in chairs of state followed, and then there was a
pause. I could see that our officers were politely saluted, and that
care was taken that no one should be in front of them. And now came the
more exciting part of the terrible exhibition.

Suddenly there was the loud booming of a gong, and the head of an escort
of spearmen marched through the gateway, followed by a group of men in
twos, each pair bearing a long bamboo pole, from which, hanging in each
case like a scale, was a large basket, and heavily chained in each
basket was a man, whom we knew at once to be one of the pirates we had
captured, without Ching whispering to us--

"Velly bad men, killee evelybody. They killee now."

My eyes would not close. They were fascinated