Копи царя Соломона
The Witch-Hunt
"Kill!"saidtheking.
"Kill!"squeakedGagool.
"Kill!"re-echoedScragga,withahollowchuckle.
Almostbeforethewordswereutteredthehorribledeadwasdone. Onemanhaddrivenhisspearintothevictim’sheart,andtomakeassurancedoublesure,theotherhaddashedouthisbrainswithagreatclub.
"One,"countedTwalatheking,justlikeablackMadameDefarge,asGoodsaid, andthebodywasdraggedafewpacesawayandstretchedout.
Hardlywasthethingdonebeforeanotherpoorwretchwasbroughtup,likeanoxtotheslaughter. Thistimewecouldsee,fromtheleopard-skincloakwhichhewore,thatthemanwasapersonofrank. Againtheawfulsyllableswerespoken,andthevictimfelldead.
"Two,"countedtheking.
Andsothedeadlygamewenton,tillaboutahundredbodieswerestretchedinrowsbehindus. IhaveheardofthegladiatorialshowsoftheCæsars,andoftheSpanishbull-fights,butItakethelibertyofdoubtingifeitherofthemcouldbehalfsohorribleasthisKukuanawitch-hunt. GladiatorialshowsandSpanishbull-fightsatanyratecontributedtothepublicamusement,whichcertainlywasnotthecasehere. Themostconfirmedsensation-mongerwouldfightshyofsensationifheknewthatitwaswellonthecardsthathewould,inhisownproperperson,bethesubjectofthenext"event."
Onceweroseandtriedtoremonstrate,butweresternlyrepressedbyTwala.
