ent, Ching had contrived to get permission for us
to be present.

I glanced at the Tanner, who had grasped the situation, and was screwing
his face up so as to look perfectly unconcerned; but it was a dismal
failure, for I could see a peculiar twitching going on at the corners of
his eyes, and he passed his tongue rapidly over his lips and went
through the action of swallowing as if his mouth and throat were dry.

I next looked at Smithy, whose eyes showed more white than usual, and
whose complexion was of a sickly-green, just as I had seen it during
some very rough weather we had going down the Channel on first starting
for this voyage.

How I looked I have only Barkins' word for, and he told me afterwards
that I seemed as if I was waiting for my turn to suffer with the
pirates.

After the sharp glance I gave at my fellows neither of us stirred, but
sat there as if petrified. I was horror-stricken, and there was a
strong impulse upon me to jump up and run out, but shame and the dread
of being considered cowardly kept me in my place. In fact, as
after-confessions made clear, we were absolutely stunned, and I don't
think we could have stirred had we made up our minds to go.

Then I felt dizzy, and the brilliant group of officials and military
magnates and judges opposite to where we sat grew blurred and
strange-looking in the bright sunshine.

At last I felt as if I must argue out the question, and with my teeth
set firm, and my eyes fixed upon the sandy ground of the enclosure, some
such thoughts as these ran through my brain--"It is only just that these
men should suffer for their horrible crimes, for they are more dangerous
than venomous serpents, and I suppose that Captain Thwaites and
Lieutenant Reardon are obliged to come as a kind of duty; but we three
came under the idea that we were to see some kind of exhibition, and old
Ching did it out of kindness, not knowing of what kind of stuff we were
made. I shan't stop."

There I paused to fight with other ideas.

"Tanner and Blacksmith will laugh at me and think I am a coward. Well,
let them," I said to myself at last. "It isn't cowardice not to wish to
see such a horror as this. I didn't feel cowardly when they were
shooting at us down in the creek, and it would be far more cowardly to
sit here against my will without speaking. I will tell them I want to
go."

I should think that every lad of the age I then was, will pretty well
understand my feeli