he was
about to suffer punishment of some kind.

The seaman mingled with the crowd and looked on.

Laying the man on the ground with his face downwards, the officers of
justice sent away two of their number, who speedily returned with a
blacksmith's anvil and forehammer. On this they placed one of their
victim's ankles, and Flaggan now saw, with a sickening heart, that they
were about to break it with the ponderous hammer. One blow sufficed to
crush the bones in pieces, and drew from the man an appalling shriek of
agony. Pushing his leg farther on the anvil, the executioner broke it
again at the shin, while the other officials held the yelling victim
down. A third blow was then delivered on the knee, but the shriek that
followed was suddenly cut short in consequence of the man having
fainted. Still the callous executioner went on with his horrible task,
and, breaking the leg once more at the thigh, proceeded to go through
the same process with the other leg, and also with the arms. When
twelve blows had thus been delivered, the writhing of the wretched
victim proved that he was still alive, though his labouring chest was
now incapable of giving vent to his agony in shrieks.

We would not describe such a scene as this were it not certainly true;
and we relate it, reader, not for the purpose of harrowing your
feelings, but for the sake of showing what diabolical deeds we men are
capable of, unless guarded therefrom by the loving and tender _spirit_
of Jesus Christ. We say "spirit" advisedly, for we are well aware that
false professors of that blessed name have, many a time, committed deeds
even more horrible than that which we have just described.

Unable to bear the sight longer, the sailor turned and hurried away from
the spot.

Fortunately he met Rais Ali just outside the crowd.

"Come, lad, come," he cried, seizing that boastful man by the arm, in
such a grasp that Rais turned pale with alarm. "I can't stop here.
Let's git away. Sure it's divls they must be, an' not men!"

Blindly dragging the interpreter along by main force through several
streets, Flaggan stopped suddenly at last to recover breath and to wipe
the perspiration from his brow.

"Don't ask me wot I've seen," he said, to Ali's inquiries, "I can't
a-bear to think on it. God help me! I wish I could wipe it out of me
brain intirely. Come along, let's finish our business, an' git out o'
this cursed place."

Proceeding rapidly and in s