The scene that greeted Gilbert surprised him greatly. In one corner of the gloomy building was a large idol, having one arm up and another down and three eyes, the third being set in the middle of the forehead. In front of this idol rested seven burning joss sticks and three platters of cornmeal, all in a semicircle. In the centre of the semicircle rested a square block of wood, and beside this an axe.
The edge of the axe and the top of the block were besmeared with what looked like human blood; and, as he gazed at these implements of the Chinese executioner’s trade, he could not help but shiver. At this the priest’s follower laughed softly; but, turning, the Buddhist struck the man on the mouth, upon which he relapsed into immediate silence.
Reaching the block, the priest motioned his helper to put Gilbert down; and at the same time the holy man began a low chant, which at the opening sounded like a hive of bees when about to swarm. Gradually, the chanting became louder; and the priest then walked around the idol a dozen times or more, hitting it in various places and pounding his forehead and his hips repeatedly. At the end of the chant he threw himself flat, and remained in this position for fully five minutes.
The whole ceremony was so curious that Gilbert would have been deeply interested had he not felt that it was but the forerunner of some attack upon himself.
On rising, the Buddhist priest motioned to his helper to take up the axe; and he himself came forward to feel if the edge of the implement was sharp enough for the work at hand. Satisfied on this point, the holy man caught Gilbert around the body, and raised him to his feet.
The young lieutenant now felt that he must either do or die, and he resolved to put up the best fight possible. “I’d rather die fighting than be beheaded,” he muttered; and, exerting all his strength, he hit the old Buddhist in the stomach with his elbow, and knocked the priest flat.
At once the follower, who had the axe, leaped forward; and for the moment it looked as if Gilbert would be slain where he stood. But, as the blade descended, the young Southerner sprang to one side, and the axe struck the stone flooring. At the same moment came a call from outside.
“Help! help!” cried Gilbert, at the top of his voice. “I am in the joss house! Help!”
“Sto—stop him!” gasped the old priest, as he sat up, out of wind. “Stop him!” And he continued to call out in Chinese.
But now came a crash on one of the windows of the joss house, followed by a rapid succession of blows; and two of the boards were sent flying over one of the idols. Then a soldier appeared in the opening. A gun was levelled, and a report followed. The man with the axe dropped the weapon, and sank down, fatally shot through the chest.