f his helmet,
and walked quietly from the cabin. At an order from their superior four
of the men laid down their weapons and seized him. In a minute he was
bound hand and foot, a gag was forced into his mouth, a cloak thrown
over his head, and he was roughly thrown into a large boat alongside the
ship.

Short as was the time which he had at liberty, Malchus had thrown a
glance over the bulwarks of each side of the ship, and perceived that
any resistance would have been useless, for far away lay the lights of
Carthage; and it was evident that the vessel had made little progress
since he had retired to rest on the previous evening. Had she been
inside the harbour he had intended to spring overboard at once and to
trust to escape by swimming.

The person in command of the party which had seized Malchus took his
place at the helm of the boat, and his twelve agents seated themselves
at the oars and rowed away towards Carthage. The town was nearly eight
miles away, and they were two hours before they arrived there. The place
where they landed was at some distance from the busy part of the port.
Two men were waiting for them there with a stretcher. Upon this Malchus
was laid, four men lifted it on their shoulders, the others fell in
round it as a guard, and the party then proceeded through quiet streets
towards the citadel.

The hour was late and but few people were about. Any who paused for a
moment to look at the little procession, shrank away hastily on hearing
the dreaded words, "In the name of the republic," uttered by the leader
of the party. The citizens of Carthage were too well accustomed to
midnight arrests to give the matter further thought, save a momentary
wonder as to who was the last victim of the tyrants of the city, and to
indulge, perhaps, in a secret malediction upon them. Malchus had from
the first no doubt as to his destination, and when he felt a sudden
change in the angle at which the stretcher was carried, knew that he was
being taken up the steep ascent to Byrsa.

He heard presently the challenge of a sentry, then there was a pause as
the gates were opened, then he was carried forward for awhile, there was
another stop, and the litter was lowered to the ground, his cords were
unfastened, and he was commanded to rise. It needed but a glance upwards
to tell him where he was. Above him towered the dark mass of the
temple of Moloch, facing him was a small door known to every citizen of
Carthage as lea