of laughter
went up into the still night air, and with it now and again the snarl
and roar of a great beast, and now and again the shriek of a hurt man.
But whatever might be afoot, it was not a scene to come upon suddenly.
The entrance gates of our great capital were designed by their ancient
builders to be no less strong than the walls themselves. Four pairs
of valves were there, each a monstrous block of stone two man-heights
square, and a man-height thick, and the wall was doubled to receive
them, enclosing an open circus between its two parts. The four gates
themselves were set one at the inner, one at the outer side of each of
these walls, and a hidden machinery so connected them, that of each set
one could not open till the other was closed; and as for forcing them
without war engines, one might as foolishly try to push down the royal
pyramid with the bare hand.

My escort made outcry with the horn which hung from the wall inviting
such a summons, and a warder came to an arrow-slit, and did inspection
of our persons and business. His survey was according to the ancient
form of words, which is long, and this was made still more tedious by
the noise from within, which ever and again drowned all speech between
us entirely.

But at last the formalities had been duly complied with, and he shot
back the massive bars and bolts of stone, and threw ajar one monstrous
stone valve of the door. Into the chamber within--a chamber made from
the thickness of the wall between the two doors--I and my fellows
crowded, and then the warder with his machines pulled to the valve which
had been opened, and came to me again through the press of my escort,
bowing low to the ground.

"I have no vail to give you," I said abruptly. "Get on with your duty.
Open me that other door."

"With respect, my lord, it would be better that I should first announce
my lord's presence. There is a baiting going forward in the circus, and
the tigers are as yet mere savages, and no respecters of persons."

"The what?"

"The tigers, if my lord will permit them the name. They are baiting a
batch of prisoners with the two great beasts which the Empress (whose
name be adored) has sent here to aid us keep the gate. But if my
lord will, there are the ward rooms leading off this passage, and the
galleries which run out from them commanding the circus, and from there
my lord can see the sport undisturbed."

Now, the mere lust for killing excites only disgu