We were dumb.  Even the crack of the heavy whips on poor Kazimoto’s skin ceased to make impression on us.  Suffering already from my wound to the point of nausea, I actually reeled before this new deluge of trouble, and had to hold on to Fred and Will.  They each put an arm under mine.  It was Brown who spoke and stole from our sails what little wind there might have been.

“Decline to plead!” he shouted boisterously.  “You’re no judge, you’re a pirate!  You’re not fit to try natives, let alone white men!  You’re a disgrace, that’s what you are!  All you’re fit for is to make a decent fellow glad he needn’t know you!”

“Silence!” roared the lieutenant, banging on the table with his open palm—­then with his fist—­then with a mallet.

“Silence yourself!” retorted Brown as soon as the hammering ceased.  “You ought to be ashamed o’ yourself!  Your court’s a bally disgrace, an’ you’re the worst thing in it!  You and your Kaiser can go to hell, and be damned to both of you!”

“One month in jail for contempt of court and Majestaets-beleidigung!” snapped the lieutenant.  “Take him away!”

Quite clearly that was not the first time that a white man had been imprisoned in Muanza.  There was no hesitation about the way in which an askari seized Brown’s wrists or a sergeant snapped the handcuffs.  He was hustled out expostulating, kicked on the shins by the sergeant when he faced about to argue, and shoved into a run by both sergeant and askari.

“You others would better be careful what you say!” said the lieutenant.

“I’ve a mind to share Brown’s cell!” said Will, but the lieutenant affected not to hear that.

“Since you refuse to plead in this court, you shall be held until the arrival of Major Schunck from the coast.  Your arms and ammunition are to be handed over to the askaris, who will be sent to the rest-camp to receive them.  The askaris will search your belongings thoroughly to make sure they have all your weapons.  You are ordered confined within the limits of this township, and if you are detected making any attempt to trespass outside township limits you will be confined as the Greeks are within the rest-camp under observation.  The porters you brought into the country are all to be paid their full wages by you until Major Schunck shall have dealt with you; the porters are refused permission to leave Muanza, being needed as witnesses.  Next case!”

He scrawled his signature at the foot of each sheet of blue paper, and made a motion with his arm that we should leave court.  But we sat down and waited until the two Nubian giants had finished flogging Kazimoto, and when they dragged him to his feet Will and Fred walked over to give him a few words of comfort.  That act of ordinary kindness threw the lieutenant into another fury.

“Bring the Nyamwezi here!” he ordered, and the askaris hustled him up in front of the table.