Page:Life in a thousand worlds.djvu/183

 Every eye was fastened on me. Some of the nobility were pale with fear; others were busy inquiring whence I came and where I had been captured.

At length the chief official made a gutteral sound. This must have been a call for order and the signal for the opening of the court, for at once the wild confusion gave way to order as much as could be expected under the circumstances.

The brief formalities of opening the court were ridiculous to me. This being done, all official attention was given to me. I saw that everything was under the charge of this presiding official. He first ordered that I should be bound and, accordingly, my hands and feet were tied. Then a very heavy chain-like rope was fastened to my body and I was tied to the criminal's post.

The officers were then released and retired to their special part of the room.

The chief then stepped toward me and peered into my face with a puzzled look of great anxiety. I returned his glances calmly, but uttered not a word.

There was a breathless suspense as the