Part 41 (1/2)
The arrangeh Schubert shouted for an askari, and the corporal as doing police duty outside in the street ca He had a kiboko in his hand al, and Schubert exa white rinned the corporal
”Not dare, eh? Would you not obey an order?”
”Always I obey!” the
”Good I shall lie here This other bwana shall lie there beside me
You shall stand between First you shall strike one, then the other--turn and turn about until I give the order to cease! And listen! If you fail once--just one little tiht, you shall have two hundred lashes yourself; and they shall be good ones, because I will lay them on! Is it understood?”
”Yes,” said the corporal, the whites of his eyes betraying doubt, fear and wonder But he grinned with his lips, lest the feldwebel should suspect hiness
”Are the tereants yelped in the affireants volunteered for the post Schubert lay down on the floor, and Sachse beside him about four feet away The corporal took his stand between He was an enor shoulder th that tailors try to suggest with jackets padded to look square
”Nun--recht feste schlagen!” ordered Schubert Then he took the sleeve of his tunic between his teeth and hid his face [Now, hit good and hard!]
”One!” said the referee Down ca off Schubert neither winced nor murmured, but the blood welled into the seat of his pants and spread like red ink on blotting-paper
”'One!” said the referee again The corporal faced about, and raised his weapon, standing on tiptoe to getup, and the other sergeants roared delight
But he was still when it descended, and the crack of the blo neither murmur nor movement from him either Like the feldwebel, he had his sleeve between his teeth
”Two!” said the referee, and the black whip rose again It descended with a crack and a splash on the very spot whence the blood flowed, this ti the pants open, but Schubert took no more notice of it than if a fly had settled on him There was a chorus of applause
”Two!” said the referee Again the corporal faced about and balanced himself on tiptoe Sachse was ain while waiting for the blow, but met it when it did come without a tremor of any kind He was much the softer Blood flowed from him more freely, but his pants seemed to be of sterner stuff, for they did not split until the eight-and-twentieth lash, or thereabouts
Froh the raw flesh lay open to the lash, and the corporal, urged to it by the united threats and praise of all the other sergeants, wrought his utht have been dead, except for the even rise and fall of his breathing, that never checked or quickened once Nine-and-forty strokes he took without a sign of yielding At the eight-and-fortieth Sachse ainst hi, red in the face, but without any tortured look
”Now you can say forever that you have flogged thite men!” he told the askari
”Who will believe me?” the man answered
Sachse had to be helped to his feet He was pale and dehed Schubert ”A Prussian is better than any man! Look at him, and then at me!”
He shouted for his servant, who had to be fetched fro-faced little rascal, obviously in love with the glory reflected on the sergeant-major's servant He was made to produce a basin and cold water--he discovered thee his master's raw posterior before us all Then he was sent for clean white pants and presently Schubert, only refusing to sit doas quite hiain
Sachse on the other hand refused the ministrations of the boy--was annoyed by the chaff of the other sergeants--refused to drink any of the sweet chareat dudgeon,about the madness that takes hold of men in Africa
Meanwhile, while Schubert strutted and swaggered, ed hide, the Jew ca thee spider--his touch itive than any woman's
”You should not tell zat dalish ”Nefer mind vat you tell heem he is all ze same not your frien He only obey hees officers Zey say to cut your troat--he cut it! Zey say to tell you a lot o' lies--he tell! He iss not a t'inker, but a doer: and hees faforite spectacle iss ze blood of innocence! Do not effer say I did not tell you! On ze ozzer hand, tell no one zat I did tell! Zese are dangerous people!”