592 BEFORE A CHINESE MAGISTRATE.

left my pilot, my champion I called him afterward, a complete
victory.

By this time I was a little awake; for I thought, when first I
began to wake, that I had been in a sweet sleep; but, as I said
above, I wondered where I was, how I came upon the ground, and
what was the matter: in a word, a few moments after, as sense
returned, I felt pain, though I did not know where; I clapped my
hand to my head, and took it away bloody; then I felt my head
ache, and then, in another moment, memory returned, and every-
thing was present to me again.

I jumped up upon my feet instantly, and got hold of my sword,
but no enemies were in view. I found a Tartar lie dead, and his
horse standing very quietly by him ; and, looking farther, I saw my
champion and deliverer, who had been to see what the Chinese had
done, coming back with his hanger in his hand. The old man,
seeing me on my feet, came running to me, and embraced me with
a great deal of joy, being afraid before that I had been killed, and,
seeing me bloody, would see how I was hurt; but it was not much,
only what we call a broken head; neither did I afterwards find
any great inconvenience from the blow, other than the place which
was hurt, and was well again in two or three days.

We made no great gain, however, by this victory ; for we lost a
camel, and gained a horse: but that which was remarkable, when
we came back to the village, the man demanded to be paid for the
camel. I disputed it, and it was brought to a hearing before the
Chinese judge of the place; that is to say, in English, we went
before a justice of the peace. Give him his due, he acted with a
great deal of prudence and impartiality; and having heard both
sides, he gravely asked the Chinese man that went with me to buy
the camel, whose servant he was? “I am no servant,” said he,
“but went with the stranger.” ‘At whose request?” says the
justice. ‘‘ At the stranger’s request,” says he. “ Why, then,”
says the justice, ‘you were the stranger’s servant for the time;
and the camel being delivered to his servant, it was delivered to
him, and he must pay for it.”

T confess the thing was so clear, that I had not a word to Bay ;
but admiring to see such just reasoning upon the consequence,