ut for me. I
knew it, for he kept pointing to me; and finally he made a bound, got
free, and leaped to me, throwing his arms about my waist.

"No killee; shan't killee," he cried wildly; and then, turning round, he
yelled at our captors in his own tongue, abusing them in his rage, and
threatening them with his clenched fist.

But it was all in vain: a dozen hands were at him; others seized and
held me. Ching was dragged away vociferating wildly, thrown down, and
three men sat upon him, while another knelt down, twisted his hand in
the poor fellow's tail, and held his head fast.

I don't think they meant to kill him, their rage being evidently
directed at us; and I saw, with a peculiar kind of fascination, one man
with a big sword come close to me; another, armed with a similar blade,
go to where Tom Jecks lay, held down by three others.

I can hardly describe my sensations. Five minutes before, I was
horribly frightened; the cold perspiration stood upon my forehead; my
hands were wet, and my legs sank under me. But now, all the fear had
gone. I knew I was to die, and I remembered the execution I had seen in
that great enclosure, when with one _whisk_ of the sword the executioner
had lopped off head after head. It would not take long, I thought, and
a curious exaltation came over me as I began to think of home, and at
the same time my lips uttered the word "Good-bye," which was followed by
a prayer.

I did not cease muttering those words as I felt myself forced into a
kneeling position, and saw that Tom Jecks was being treated in the same
way. And somehow, as I prayed, the thought would come to me that the
poor fellow would not feel or know anything about what was going to
happen.

Just then, as the man with the big sword approached Tom Jecks, and I was
watching, I did not see but I knew that the other was close behind me
and a little on my left. But it did not trouble me any more than it did
to know that the fierce wretches were all gazing excitedly at us, and in
a high state of delight at being able to slay two of their foes.

It takes long to describe all this, but it happened very quickly.

The man had raised his sword to strike at Tom Jecks, and I shuddered and
looked aside, to see the great shadow of a man on the sand at my feet,
and there was a sword raised close by me.

At the same time Ching uttered a wild shriek, and the man who held his
tail forced the poor fellow's head down in the sand, but