treat the matter as a mere attempt at robbery. It surely would not be
necessary to bring the question of my being carried away into the matter
at all; I can give evidence that I was knocked down and stunned, and
that I was robbed of some jewels that I had about me, which were the
object of the attack."

"I think we should have to admit that," the Lieutenant said; "it must
come out that the attack was an organized one."

"Well, if it must, it must," Mark said reluctantly; "but then, you see,
no end of questions would be asked, and the thing might be delayed while
a search is being made for the men who stole the bracelet."

"Well, we will keep it out of the inquiry if we can," the Lieutenant
said. "The meeting will be at three o'clock. I will send a man to take
you to the Town Hall."

At the appointed hour the party proceeded to the court, and the eighteen
prisoners, under a strong guard, having been brought in, six magistrates
took their places on the bench; the rest of the court was crowded, the
fray on the wharf and the number of captures having created quite a
stir in the city. They had arranged that Tring should first give
his evidence, which he did, the Lieutenant of the watch acting as
interpreter, though most of the magistrates understood English. The
appearance of the prisoners created quite a sensation in the court, for
the injuries that they had received were now even more conspicuous than
they had been when they were first captured; some of them had to be led
into court, their eyes being completely closed, others had their heads
bandaged, and all showed signs of tremendous punishment. Tring related
that he, with five others, had come ashore together; one of his
companions had a row on board a ship they had crossed in, with a
Lascar sailor, who was a passenger, and they kept together as they were
crossing the wharf, thinking that possibly the man might attempt to stab
his companion.

"I was walking behind him," Tring went on, "when the Lascar jumped
suddenly out from among the men standing about, and was about to stab my
companion, when I hit him just in time, and he went down; then there was
a rush, and we all got separated, and did as well as we could until the
watch came up; that is all that I know about it."

"Is the Lascar among the prisoners?" one of the magistrates asked the
Lieutenant of the watch.

"No, sir, when picked up by one of my men he was found to be dead; the
blow had apparently killed