by nature cruel, like most cowards,
and now that they have no more fear of the Fung, they think it will be
safe to kill us."

"Ah!" said Roderick; "yet Harmac has come to Mur," and he pointed to the
great head of the idol seated on the cliff, "and I think where Harmac
goes, Fung follow, and if so they make them pay plenty for my life, for
I great man among Fung; Fung myself husband of Sultan's daughter. These
fools, like children, because they see no Fung, think there are no Fung.
Well, in one year, or perhaps one month, they learn."

"I daresay, my boy," I answered, "but I am afraid that won't help us."

By now we were approaching the court-house where the Abati priests and
learned men tried civil and some criminal cases. Through a mob of nobles
and soldiers who mocked us as we went, we were hustled into the large
hall of judgment that was already full to overflowing.

Up the centre of it we marched to a clear space reserved for the parties
to a cause, or prisoners and their advocates, beyond which, against the
wall, were seats for the judges. These were five members of the Council,
one of whom was Joshua, while in the centre as President of the Court,
and wearing her veil and beautiful robes of ceremony, sat Maqueda
herself.

"Thank God, she's safe!" muttered Oliver with a gasp of relief.

"Yes," answered Higgs, "but what's she doing there? She ought to be in
the dock, too, not on the Bench."

We reached the open space, and were thrust by soldiers armed with swords
to where we must stand, and although each of us bowed to her, I observed
that Maqueda took not the slightest notice of our salutations. She only
turned her head and said something to Joshua on her right, which caused
him to laugh.

Then with startling suddenness the case began. A kind of public
prosecutor stood forward and droned out the charge against us. It was
that we, who were in the employ of the Abati, had traitorously taken
advantage of our position as mercenary captains to stir up a civil
war, in which many people had lost their lives, and some been actually
murdered by ourselves and our companion who was dead. Moreover, that
we had caused their palace to be burned and, greatest crime of all, had
seized the sacred person of the Walda Nagasta, Rose of Mur, and dragged
her away into the recesses of the underground city, whence she was only
rescued by the chance of an accomplice of ours, one Japhet, betraying
our hiding-place.

This was the