in the bull-fight frenzy--that same intoxication of the
senses that held the Roman freemen spellbound at the sight of suffering.

One at a time, that the last might see the torture of the first, the
victims were noosed by the heel (one heel)--thrown with a jerk--hauled
heel-first to the overhanging branch--and flogged into unconsciousness
with slow blows, the lieutenant standing by to reprove the askaris if
they struck too fast, for that would have been merciful. Not until the
victims ceased to struggle were they lowered and thrown on the ground,
to lie bleeding, awaiting their turn to be hanged.

The last two--supposed to have been the culprits who actually held the
spear that pierced the marauding askari's heart--were hauled up
heel-to-heel together, and hanged presently in the same noose, the
commandant laughing at their struggles and Professor Schillingschen
studying their agony with strictly scientific interest.

When the last had ceased struggling Schillingschen permitted himself
one more pleasure. He strolled over to us and blocked Fred's way,
standing with hands behind him and out-thrust chin.

"You flatter yourself, don't you!" he sneered. He was just drunk
enough to be boastful, while thoroughly sure of what he was saying.
"You expect to tell a fine tale! I know the psychology of the English!
I know it like a book! Let me tell you two things: First, your
English would not believe you. They are such supremely cocksure fools
that they can not be made to believe that another so-called civilized
nation would act as they, in their egoism, would be ashamed to act!
Civilization! That is a fine word, full of false meanings!
Civilization is prudery--sham--false pride--veneer! Only the Germans
are truly civilized, because they alone are not afraid to face naked
animalism without its mask! The British dare not! They hide from
it--shut their eyes! The fools! If you could tell them their story
they would never listen!

"Second: You will never tell the story! Being English, you were such
dull-witted fools that you did not even hide the cartridge cases, or
the bones of the Masai you shot! Bah-ha-ha-ha-hah! You can escape
hanging yet by telling your secret. Jail you can not escape! Try it
if you don't believe me! Try to escape--go on!"

He turned on his heel and left us, striding heavily with the strength
of an ox and about the alertness of a traction engine, turning his head
every once in a while t