el was
not so delighted as I expected. He reprimanded me for being late for
breakfast, and told me I was lucky to get any. Fred and Will had
waited for me, and while we ate alone and I told them the story of my
morning's adventure a police officer in khaki uniform tied up his mule
outside and clattered in.

"Whose buck is that hanging outside the kitchen?" he demanded.

"There's some doubt about it," I said. "I've been accused of being the
owner."

"Then you're the man I want. The court sits at nine. You'd better be
there, or you'll be fetched!"

He placed in my hand what proved to be a summons to appear before the
district court that morning on the charge of carrying an unregistered
rifle and shooting game without a license. Two native policemen he had
with him took down the buck from the hook outside the kitchen door and
carried it off as evidence.

We finished our breakfast in great contentment, and strode off
arm-in-arm to find the court-house, feeling as if we were going to a
play--perhaps a mite indignant, as if the subject of the play were one
we did not quite approve, but perfectly certain of a good time.

The court was crowded. The bearded professor, his four boys, and two
other natives were there, as well as several English officials, all
apparently on very good terms indeed with Schillingschen.

As we entered the court under the eyes of a hostile crowd I heard one
official say to the man standing next him:

"I hope he'll make an example of this case. If he doesn't every new
arrival in this country will try to take the law in his own hands. I
hope he fines him the limit!"

"Give me your hunting-knife, Fred!" said I, and Fred laughed as he
passed it to me. For the moment I think he thought I meant to plunge
it into the too talkative official's breast.

First they called a few township cases. A drunken Muhammedan was fined
five rupees, and a Hindu was ordered to remove his garbage heap before
noon. Three natives were ordered to the chain-gang for a week for
fighting, and a Masai charged with stealing cattle was remanded. Then
my case was called, very solemnly, by a magistrate scarcely any older
than myself.

The police officer acted as prosecutor. He stated that "acting on
information received" he had proceeded to the hotel. Outside of which
he saw a buck hanging (buck produced in evidence); that he had entered
the hotel, found me at breakfast, and that I had not denied having shot