"All around the back part of the palace lay bleaching skulls and skeletons, that the blue-bottle flies and ants had polished, and recent corpses also, from which so fearful a stench arose and poisoned the air that we could scarcely sleep.
"But I fell off at last, and the sun was shining over the dense forests of the East before I awoke. Something was going on behind. Something dreadful, I felt sure. There was a low and pitiful moaning, but no cries. Yet every now and then came a dull thud, similar to that which a butcher makes in splitting a pig in two.
"I peeped through the back wattled wall. Oh, lad, may you never see such a sight!
"Over fifty poor creatures were huddled together mournfully awaiting their doom. Every half-minute one was dragged out, and stood with his or her hands between the knees and head bent down, till the cruel blow fell that severed that head from the body.
"But three or four were crucified in another corner.
"My remonstrances were in vain. The king only laughed, and told me that it was all got up in my honour.
"As no more could be done, we left almost immediately. We regaled ourselves on fruits as we passed on through the jungle to our sailor-guarded boat, and glad enough were we all when we found ourselves rowing once more down the beautiful river, on each bank of which—alive with beautiful birds—the foliage and trees were like the forests and woodlands of fairyland.
"But," continued the commander, "to change the subject to one more pleasant, tell us the story of your young life, my lad."
Nothing loath, Creggan told the doctor and him all he knew from his babyhood, and all about the hermit also.
"Why, it is a perfect romance, Creggan," said Flint.