Part 44 (2/2)
The tre woe to answer that lieutenant, and the crack--crack--crack of a thick kiboko descending at measured intervals on the naked back of the boy who had answered boldly was no help toward reassurance
”Speak!” the lieutenant ordered, ”or I shall have you compelled to speak!”
She burst into sudden volubility The das that see off fro, apropos apparently of nothing, the feords of German she had picked up The lieutenant yelled for an interpreter, and a Nyamho knew German rose from the front bench and came and stood beside her
”That baby is a white man's,” he explained
”What does she want?”
”She says the white man is the bwana dakitari (the doctor!)”
”Oh! Then I aht a lesson! They tell the saave their father a present, and carried them off
Is that her tale, too?”
”Yes”
”Well--what of it? The father agreed at the time when he accepted the present, didn't he? The consequence is a baby--not for the first tie, she co It's the first time she has been in this court This time I will be lenient One hundred lashes!”
The interpreter translated, and the wo to hiround, and another one tore off the blanket that would have deadened the blows to so to their feet, but the blows began to rain on her, and presently she lay still, her breasts flattened against the earth floor, her mouth full of dust, and her naked body paralyzed by fear of the descending lash
”Now bring up nuain!” the lieutenant ordered
The askaris ceased fro him One of them kicked him to his feet, and he resu up at him as proudly as ever, for all that his back was bruised and bloody
”Did you steal or did you not?” asked the lieutenant
”Steal what fro him! Next case!”
The next man escaped the whip, but his witnesses were less fortunate He brought two e of attelibness of their answers convinced the lieutenant they were lying In the absence of all evidence for the prosecution except the unsupported word of a police askari who adainst the defendant, the lieutenant resorted to the whip to change the witnesses' convictions, but without avail
The wo, but, far fro her statements, tried to spit in the lieutenant's face when jerked to her feet and stood again before him--an impossible feat because the platforh He had her beaten a second tianda fro without a license He pleaded ignorance of the law, and denied having traded He was flogged for telling lies in court, and changed his testimony under the lash, whereat he was promptly sentenced to a hundred and fifty lashes and aUnder the lash a second time, he recanted--swore that his first state--a mistake in tactics that only caused the tale of lashes to be increased by fifty and the ter to be doubled
”You ht you on British territory are of no use here!” remarked the lieutenant
By the time Kazimoto was called and stood out alone in front of hie, and the floor of the court was actually crowded by prone natives being beaten Extra askaris had been sent for in order that proceedings ht not be delayed, and the audience could scarcely hear the evidence and sentences because of the crack of whips and the moans of victims (Not that they all moaned by any rim proud silence: but the feho did make a noise--especially the women--made lots of it)
As Kazimoto faced the lieutenant he turned once and looked at us His eyes sought Fred's
”Oh, bwana!” he said--and now for the first time we learned why he had chosen Fred to be his particular master ”I have been faithful!
Stroke, then, that beard of yours as Bwana Courtney, my former master, used to stroke his Then we shall both knohat to do!”
Fred stroked his beard promptly, for the man needed comfort, not ridicule: but the concession to his superstition did none of us any good