Cupid in Africa Part 29

"Let's question them one by one," said Berners.

A very, very old man, a sort of "witch-doctor" or priest, by his ornaments, entered the witness-box-otherwise arose from the group of witnesses and stood before the Court-to leeward by request.

"Hullo, Granpa! How's things?" said Augustus.

The ancient ruin mumbled something in Swahili, and peered with h.o.r.n.y eyes beneath rheumy, shrivelled lids at the Court, as he stood trembling, his palsied head ashake.

"Don't waggle your head at _me_, Rudolph," said Augustus severely, as the old man fixed him with a wild and gla.s.sy eye. "_I_'m not going to uphold you. . . . Pooh! _What_ an odour of sanct.i.ty! You're a _high_ priest, y'know," and murmured as he sought his handkerchief, "Poignant! . . .

Searching. . . ."

The old man repeated his former mumble.

"He says he did not mean to steal the tobacco," interpreted Wavell.

"Sort of accident that might happen to anybody, what?" observed Augustus.

"Ask him if he knows the prisoner."

The question was put to him in his own tongue, and unfalteringly he replied that he had not meant to steal the tobacco-had not _really_ stolen it, in fact.

Patiently Wavell asked, and patiently he was answered. "Do you know the prisoner?"

"I never steal."

"Do you know this man?"

"Tobacco I would never steal."

"What is this man's name?"

"Tobacco."

"Have you ever seen that man before?"

"What man?"

"This one."

"Yes. He is the prisoner."

"When have you seen him before?"

"Last night."

"When, before that?"

"He ate rice with us last night. He is the prisoner."

"Do you know him well?"

"Yes, I know he is the prisoner. _He_ stole the tobacco."

"Have you known him long?"

"No. He is only a young man. He steals tobacco."

"Does he come from your village?"

"Yes."

"Have you known him all his life?"

"No, because he went and spent some time in the _Germanis'_ country. I think he went to steal tobacco."

"Did he come back alone from the _Germanis'_ country?"

"No. He brought _askaris_ and _muzangos_. {183a} They killed my people and burnt my village."

"You are sure it was this man who brought them?"

"Is he not a prisoner?"

Suddenly an ancient hag arose from the group of witnesses and bounded into Court. At the feet of Wavell she poured forth a torrent of impa.s.sioned speech.

"Cheer up, Auntie!" quoth Augustus, and as the woman ceased, added: "Ask her if she'd come to Paris for the week-end."

"What does she say?" enquired the President of the Court.

"In effect-that she will be security for _witness's_ good behaviour, as he is her only child and never steals tobacco. He only took the tobacco because he wanted a smoke. He is ninety years of age, and a good obedient son to her. It is her fault for not looking after him better.

She hopes he will not be hung, as she is already an orphan, and would then be a childless orphan. . . . She undertakes to beat him with a _runga_." {183b}

"Does she identify prisoner as the man who led the German raiding-party?"

asked Bertram, after Augustus had called for three loud cheers for the witness, had been himself called to order by the President, and had threatened that he would not play if further annoyed by that official.

Again, in careful Swahili, Wavell endeavoured to find traces of evidence for or against the accused.

"Do you know this man?"

"Yes, _Bwana_."

"Who is he?"

"The prisoner, _Bwana Macouba_ (Great Master)."

"Why is he a prisoner?"

"Because he brought the _Germanis_ to Pongwa, oh, _Bwana Macouba Sana_ (Very Great Master)."

"How do you know he brought the _Germanis_ to Pongwa?"