and Will set his jaw like a rock.

Not one of us had said a word when the biggest askari we had seen yet
strode up to us--saluted--and gave Fred a sealed envelope. It was
written in English, addressed to us three by name (although our names
were wrongly spelled). We were required to present ourselves at the
court-house at once, reason not given. The letter was signed
"Liebenkrantz,--Lieutenant."

The askari waited for us. I suppose it would not be correct to say we
were under arrest, but the enormous black man made it sufficiently
obvious that he did not intend returning to the court without us. The
court-house was not more than two hundred yards away. As we turned
toward it we saw Lady Saffren Waldon being helped into the commandant's
litter, borne by four men, the commandant himself superintending the
ceremony with a vast deal of bowing and chatter, and Professor
Schillingschen looking on with an air of owning litter, porters,
township, boma, and all. As we turned our backs on them they started
off toward the neat white dwelling on the hill.

The court was a round, grass-roofed affair, with white-washed walls of
sun-dried brick. For about four-fifths of the circumference the wall
was barely breast-high, the roof being supported on wooden pillars
bricked into the wall, as well as by the huge pole that propped it up
umbrella-wise in the center.

The remaining fifth of the wall continued up as high as the roof,
forming a back to the platform. Facing the platform was the entrance,
and on either side benches arranged in rows followed the curve of the
wall. There was a long table on the platform, at which sat the
lieutenant who had summoned us, with a sergeant 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 frame on the white-washed wall,
was a full-length portrait of the Kaiser in general's uniform. The
Kaiser was depicted scowling, his gloved hands resting on a saber
almost as ferocious-looking as the one the lieutenant kept winding his
leg around.

All the benches were crowded with 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 a