ttom like a stone.

I saw the captain frown as he said something to Mr Reardon, who merely
shook his head.

"Ain't they going to lower a boat, sir?" I whispered to Mr Brooke.

"We could do no good," he said. "There are twenty fathoms of water out
there, Herrick, and the man could not rise."

The incident did not seem to discompose the Chinese, who disposed of the
next prisoner. And then I saw that the marines had charge of another,
who suddenly made an attempt to escape, and our men only having one
hand, at liberty, the other holding a rifle, he would have succeeded,
had not six or seven of the soldiers rushed at and seized him, dragging
him to the lessening heap of chains, when he suddenly threw up his hands
and dropped upon his knees, throwing them off their guard by making
believe to resign himself to his fate.

But before the first fetter could be dragged to where he knelt, he
sprang up with the fire of fury in his eyes, and made a rush at the
mandarin, seized him, and it would have gone ill with his gaudy costume,
had not a couple of the officers dragged out their swords.

What followed took only a moment or two. I saw the blades flash, heard
a sickening sound, and saw the prisoner stagger away, while the second
of the two officers followed him, delivering chop after chop with his
heavy blade, till the unfortunate wretch dropped upon the deck, where he
was at once seized and pitched overboard without the slightest
compunction.

"Here, interpreter, tell the chief I cannot have my deck turned into a
butcher's shamble like this," cried the captain angrily.

Ching shuffled forward, and advanced towards the mandarin, spoke at
length; the mandarin replied with a haughty smile, and Ching backed away
again.

"Gleat big-button mandalin say he velly much 'blige captain big fine
ship, and he allee light, no hurtee 'tall by killee badee bad men."

"Bah!" ejaculated the captain, turning angrily away; and I saw Mr
Reardon's face grow fixed, as if carved in wood, in his efforts to keep
from smiling.

The last of the prisoners had been brought out of confinement, thrown
down, chained, and bundled into the barge, half the soldiers followed,
orders were given, and the second barge pushed off, when the captain
once more had recourse to Ching's help.

"Ask the mandarin if he will come into the cabin and take a glass of
wine."

But this was declined, and Ching communicated the fact that the great
man "would not eat