THE SWORD or CIVIL WAR. 
123 
and tear tiie fiesh from pallid faces or lap tlieir meals from 
the crimson streams of human blood. The sanguinary and 
callous executioner strides over and among the bleeding 
trunksj kicks a head out of his way here, steps into a 
pool of blood there, and sweeps his dripping sword over 
the head of the next in turn. Men and women, — some- 
times children, — age and ugliness, youth and beauty, suf- 
fer without distinction. A head is a head, and so many 
heads have been ordered to fall. The manner in 'svhich 
they obtain the requisite number is hardly to be credited; 
and yet it is true; — so true that I tell it without fear of 
contradiction. 
These executions are generally the result of a desire 
to retaliate upon the rebels for some similar act. When, 
therefore, it becomes known to the mandarins that the 
rebels have cut off so many Imperial heads, they at once 
march out an equal number of prisoners and restore the 
equilibrium. If they have not enough prisoners, they 
send a company of troops and seize and bind the first 
poor dozen or twenty countrymen whom fate throws in 
their 'way, bring them into the city, and the next day they 
are kneeling in the slaughter-yard with bowed heads and 
fettered limbs. It makes little difference icMch side they 
are on: they may protest themselves to be the best ser- 
vants of the emperor, and the only answer is, — 
“ AVhy were you outside of the wall while the rebels 
have possession of the surrounding country?’ 
“The stained sword drips again, and a Government no- 
tice is pasted up to the effect that 'such and such a great 
victory has been obtained over the rebels, and that so 
many prisoners have had their heads cut oft'.’ This 
