"Say, please no choppee off head. Velly bad men, killee lot always;
velly bad."
And now I felt that the time had come to close my eyes, but they
remained fixed. I could not avert my gaze from a scene which was made
more horrible by a struggle which took place between the first pirate of
the long row in which they stood and the executioner.
The man shouted out some words angrily, and Ching interpreted them in my
ear, his explanation being in company with a strange surging noise--
"Say he come back and killee him if he choppee off head. Oh, he velly
bad man."
But quickly, as if quite accustomed to the task, two of the
executioner's assistants rushed at the pirate; one of them forced him
down into a kneeling position; they then seized his long tail, drew it
over his head and hung back, thus holding the pirate's neck
outstretched; lastly, I saw the executioner draw back, the sword
flashed, I heard a dull thud--the head fell, and the body rolled over on
one side.
Before I could drag my eyes from the horror there was the same terrible
sound again, and another head fell upon the ground, while, with a
rapidity that was astounding, the assistants passed from one culprit to
the other in the long row, the miserable wretches making not the
slightest resistance, but kneeling patiently in the position in which
they were thrust, while _whish, whish, whish_, the executioner lopped
off their heads at one blow.
"Allee done," said Ching. "Execution man have velly much plactice."
He said this to me, but I made no reply, for the whole place seemed to
be going round and round.
"You thinkee they all come back again and have junk? Go kill shoot
evelybody, pilate ghost-man?"
"No," I said hoarsely; "can we go now?"
"Velly soon. Gleat clowd all along gate. Lookee, Mis' Tanner go
s'eep."
These words roused me, and I turned to Barkins, who was lying back with
his eyes nearly closed and looking ghastly, while Smith sat staring
straight before him, with his hands grasping the seat on either side, in
a stiff, awkward position.
"Here, Smithy," I said, "quick, Tanner has fainted;" but he took no
notice, and I whispered to him angrily--
"Get up. It's all over now. Come and help me. Don't let these
horrible people see Tanner like this."
He turned to me then, and let his eyes fall on our messmate.
"Can you get me a drink of water, Ching?" he murmured.
"Yes, d'leckly; wait lit' bit. Po' Mr Barki' Tanner leg velly bad,
makee sick. You' alm velly bad still?"
"Very bad; it throbs," murmured Smith.
"Ah, yes! Wait lit' bit and no clowd. Ching take you have cup flesh
tea, and quite well d'leckly. You not likee execution?"