very different from her usual tones--indeed, it was one of the most
remarkable things about this extraordinary creature that her voice had
the power of suiting itself in a wonderful manner to the mood of the
moment. "What have ye to say, ye rebellious children, why vengeance
should not be done upon you?"

For some time there was no answer, but at last one of the men, a fine,
broad-chested fellow, well on in middle-life, with deep-graven features
and an eye like a hawk's, spoke, and said that the orders that they had
received were not to harm the white men; nothing was said of their
black servant, so, egged on thereto by a woman who was now dead, they
proceeded to try to hot-pot him after the ancient and honourable custom
of their country, with a view of eating him in due course. As for their
sudden attack upon ourselves, it was made in an access of sudden fury,
and they deeply regretted it. He ended by humbly praying that they might
be banished into the swamps, to live and die as it might chance; but I
saw it written on his face that he had but little hope of mercy.

Then came a pause, and the most intense silence reigned over the whole
scene, which, illuminated as it was by the flicker of the lamps striking
out broad patterns of light and shadow upon the rocky walls, was as
strange as any I ever saw, even in that unholy land. Upon the ground
before the daïs were stretched scores of the corpselike forms of the
spectators, till at last the long lines of them were lost in the
gloomy background. Before this outstretched audience were the knots
of evil-doers, trying to cover up their natural terrors with a brave
appearance of unconcern. On the right and left stood the silent guards,
robed in white and armed with great spears and daggers, and men and
women mutes watching with hard curious eyes. Then, seated in her
barbaric chair above them all, with myself at her feet, was the veiled