Part 44 (1/2)

The askari waited for us I suppose it would not be correct to say ere under arrest, but the enormous black manto the court without us The court-house was not more than two hundred yards away As we turned toward itLady Saffren Waldon being helped into the commandant's litter, borne by fourthe cere and chatter, and Professor Schillingschen looking on with an air of owning litter, porters, townshi+p, boma, and all As we turned our backs on the on the hill

The court was a round, grass-roofed affair, hite-washed walls of sun-dried brick For about four-fifths of the circu supported on wooden pillars bricked into the wall, as well as by the huge pole that propped it up u fifth of the wall continued up as high as the roof, for the platfored in rows followed the curve of the wall There was a long table on the platform, at which sat the lieutenant who had sueant seated on either hand

The sergeants were acting as court clerks, scribbling busily on sheets of blue paper, and in books

Behind the lieutenant, in a great gilt frath portrait of the Kaiser in general's unifor on a saber al as the one the lieutenant kept winding his leg around

All the benches were croith spectators, prisoners, witnesses, and litigants Outside, at least two hundred Arabs, Indians, and natives leaned with elbows on the wall and gazed at the scene within The lieutenant glared, but otherwise took no notice of our entry; he gave no order, but one of the two sergeants came down from the platform and kicked half a dozen natives off the front bench toour case would be called first, or even a the first The floor in the le line of natives and six askari corporals, each with a whip in his hand It was evident at once that these natives were all ahead of us, even if those on the benches were not to be heard and dealt with before our turn came

”Look at the far end of the line!” whispered Fred

Lo and behold Kazi bravely, looking neither to the right nor left I judged he kneere in court--he could hardly have failed to notice our co in--but he sturdily refused to turn his head and see us

”What has he done?” I wondered

”Nothing o to hell--you can bet your boots!” said Will

The lieutenant was in no hurry to enlighten us Our boy stood at the wrong end of the line to be taken first The lieutenant called a na native at the other end and dragged hi alone before the desk

”Silence!” the lieutenant shouted, and the court became still as death

He had a voice as mean as a hyena's--a voice that matched his face

The insolent, upturned twist of his fair mustache showed both corners of a thin-lipped mouth He had the Prussian head, shaped square whichever way you viewed it There was strength in the jaw-bones--strength in the deep-set bright eyes--strength in the shoulders that were square as box-corners without any padding--strength in the lean lithe figure; but it was always brute strength There was no e winding and unwinding of his left foot around the saber scabbard, or the attitude, leaning forward over the table, of petulant pugnacity

And the cruel voice was as weak as the hand was strong hich he rapped on the table

He questioned the boy in front of hied with theft--and de, and whose thing?”

The ansas bold The treth of native fatalis up the pride that every uncontaminated Nyamwezi owns He was not more than seventeen years old, but he stood there at last like a veteran at bay

”Put him down and beat him!” ordered the lieutenant

”Impudent answers to this court shall always be soundly punished! Call the next case while that one is being taught good ety with fear, in doubt whether to lay her suckling baby on the bench before she faced military justice She laid it on the floor at her feet, hesitated, and then picked it up again and wrapped it in a corner of the red blanket that constituted her only dress

”Take that brat away from her!” the lieutenant ordered ”She must pay attention to !”

An askari seized the baby by the arh to another woht until she saw it safely nestled

”Quick, now! What about this one?”

It seeeants searched through the piles of blue sheets in vain

”Then what the devil is she here for? What do you want, you?”