him this mornin' for murder! How does
it strike you?"

We were not exactly in mood to talk to Brown--in fact, we wished him
anywhere but with us, but he thought self perfectly welcome, and
rambled on:

"Up in British East we don't hang black men for murder unless it's what
they call an aggravated case--murder an' robbery--murder an'
arson--murder an' rape. Hang a white man for murderin' a black sure as
you're sitting here, an' shoot a black man for murderin' a white; but
the blacks don't understand, so when they kill one another in such a
case this, why we give 'em a short jail sentence an' a good lo lecture,
an' let 'em go again. These folks have it t'other way round. They
never hang a German, whether he's guilty or not, but hang a poor black
man, what doesn't understand, for half o' nothin'!"

A great crowd began gathering about the tree, and was presently driven
by askaris with whips into a mass on the far side of the tree from us.
Whether purposely or not, they left a clear view from the hospital
steps of all that should happen. Evidently warning had been sent out
broadcast, for the inhabitants of village after village came trooping
into town to watch, each lot led by its sultani in filthy rags and the
foolish imitation crown his conquerors had supplied him at several
times its proper price. The square was a dense sea of people before
nine o'clock, and the askaris made the front few hundreds lie, and the
next rows squat, in order that the men and women behind might see.

Then at last out came the victim with his hands tied behind him and a
bright red blanket on his loins. He was a proud-looking fellow. He
halted a moment between his guard of German sergeants and eyed the
crowd, and us, and the tree, and the noose. Then he looked down on the
ground and appeared to take no further interest.

The sergeants took him by the arms and led him along to the table
between them. Out came the commandant then, in snow-white uniform,
with his saber polished until it shone--all spruced up for the
occasion, and followed by a guard of honor consisting of lieutenant,
two sergeants, and six black askaris.

There was a chair by the table. At sight of the commandant the
sergeants made their victim use that as a step by which to mount the
table and soap-box, and there he stood eying his oppressors as calmly
as if he were witnessing a play. A murmur arose among the crowd. A
number of natives called to him by name, but