18 DECAPITATION OF TWO MURDERERS. 
tied nor handcuffed, and guarded carelessly by a few 
jesting soldiers. The Sultan's order to proceed with 
the execution not having arrived, a considerable delay 
occurred, during which the most intelligent-looking of 
the two prisoners stated to me that he had committed 
the act when in a state of unconsciousness ! A jail 
official here announced that the Sultan wished the 
sahib to give the order, and I informed Colonel Rigby 
of the circumstance. He at once saw through the 
timidity of the Sultan, and said, as the sentence had 
been passed weeks ago, he could give no orders about 
it. Eeturning to the place of execution, where both 
men still sat, we found the mob had increased. An 
Arab boldly asked me, "Why should two men suffer 
for one white?" On my remarking that "Sooner or 
later the men must suffer — the sun was broiling over 
the poor creatures' heads — would it not be charity 
to go on with the execution?" the reply was, "They 
are mere animals, and have no feeling." Still no 
one would give the order. Again the Sultan was 
applied to. A rush was now rudely made on the 
crowd by half-a-dozen handsomely-dressed Arabs, 
brandishing their shields and swords. I thought it 
was a rescue, but kept my place ; and it appeared 
they only wanted to get up to the prisoners, around 
whom every one laughed heartily at the momentary 
panic. Here one of the guard with whom I had been 
conversing laid hold of my arm, and, followed by a 
noisy drummer, the prisoners, and mob, we pushed on 
for a dozen yards, and stopped in an open space where 
some cows were lying. A twig of grass pinioned 
each man, and they were made to sit on the ground, 
