all at once commenced beating him with their bludgeons,
and continued until they had satisfied their mad fury. And while he lay
groaning in the streets, they left one of their number in charge, while
the others proceeded to get handcuffs and chains, in which they bound
him, and dragged him, as it were, the distance of four squares to the
guard-house. What a sublime picture for the meditations of a people who
boast of their bravery and generosity!

CHAPTER XIX. THE NEXT MORNING, AND THE MAYOR'S VERDICT.

SHORTLY after daylight, Tommy fell into a dozing sleep, from which he
was awakened by the mustering of the prisoners who had been brought up
during the night, and were to appear before the mayor at nine o'clock.
A few minutes before eight o'clock, an officer opened the cell-door, and
they were ordered to march out into a long room. In this room they found
all the prisoners gathered. There were three blacks and five whites,
who had been arrested on different charges; and as the mayor's court was
merely a tribunal of commitment-not judgment-if the charges upon which
the prisoners were brought up were sustained-which they generally were,
because the policeman who made the arrest was the important witness,
they were committed to await the tardy process of the law.

Considerable uneasiness had been felt on board of the Janson for Tommy,
and the Captain suggested that he might have got astray among the dark
lanes of the city, and that the mate had better send some of the crew
to look for him. The mate, better acquainted with Tommy's feelings and
attachment for Manuel than he was with the rules of the prison and Mr.
Grimshaw's arbitrary orders, assured the Captain that such a course
would be entirely unnecessary, for he knew when he left that he would
stop all night with Manuel. This quieted the Captain's apprehensions,
and he said no more about it until he sat down to breakfast. "I miss
Tommy amazingly," said the Captain. "If he stopped all night, he should
be here by this time. I think some one had better be sent to the jail
to inquire for him." Just as he arose from the table, one of the crew
announced at the companion that a person on deck wished to see the
Captain. On going up, he found a policeman, who informed him that a
little boy had been arrested as a vagrant in the street, last night, and
when brought before the mayor a few minutes ago, stated that he belonged
to his vessel, and the mayor had despatched hi