"It appears to me now that you did wrong. You had better have landed and made your way, with the assistance of your consul, to China. But matters seem also to have been against you. As for this man's statement respecting the robbery, I do not believe it. He has traduced my brother."
Then followed a few sentences in the Japanese language, which sounded particularly harsh. I saw the man seized by the soldier, and cried out. The officer turned to me inquiringly.
"What do you intend?" I asked. "What punishment?"
"I shall strike off his thievish hand."
"Oh no!" I pleaded. "There has been slaughter and hacking enough! Let him go free!"
"He has lied concerning my brother. He deserves to die! I shall only prevent his robbing in future. Take him, and keep him in guard."
The soldier tied the man's hands together with his belt, and drove him away before him, leaving me with the officer. My appeal had been in vain. As a fact, I had no energy to continue the question, because my bodily strength was waning fast. The excitement which had so far sustained me was already disappearing, and the disgust which had replaced it did not tend to keep me up.
The Japanese officer perceived this, and beckoned me to accompany him. I saw he was anxiously looking at my pallid face. What would have become of me had he not come to my rescue I did not venture to think. I followed him closely, and retraced my bloodstained steps through the lately prosperous-looking streets, then well furnished with shops, now a terrible line of dismantled houses; goods lying upon the ground amid the dead, and accentuating the desolation.
My conductor took me to an inn, or hotel, in which resided, temporarily, several Japanese. These gentlemen, I ascertained, were journalists and artists employed by the newspapers and others, for the Japanese people took the greatest interest in the struggle with China. Two of these men spoke English quite sufficiently for conversational purposes, and they made me welcome by request of the officer.
"When opportunity occurs," he said, "we will send you home. Perhaps we may despatch you to one of your men-of-war vessels. Farewell!"