Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-06-05

away to wash in q brook, leaving
thNr gear behind them. Prisoner had
crawled along the ground and secured
a bayonet, which he had stuck into
himself again and again until he
tainted. And there he was, and That
was that.
hurried off, got my bath sponge
and steward Musa, some perchloride
OF mercury and wash.basln Of water,
and set about cleaning the wounds.
Presently Bakhai came to, realized
with annoyance that he wasn't dead
after all, and proceeded to tear the
wounds with his fingers. I detailed
men to sit on his arms and legs.
/ tidied up the wounds as best
could and sewed the edges together.
1t was a dreadful job. but at last
had 1t finished.
We knocked up a stretcher, tied the
prisoner.patient down on to It, wrap
ped him in my blankets. got carriers.
told off a man to hold my sun-un1brella
over the passengers face, and sent
the outfit off on it's 30.mile walk to
the doctor, with two unbridged rivers
to cross on the way.
Natives are---well, natives. They
have their little failings, but some
times they are wonderful. Those
people got that wretched fellow to the
doctor In 10 hours. They went
literally through the rivers. bearing
the stretcher at arms length above
their heads. SO that at times from the
bank all you could see were a lot OF
hands and the stretcher: the carriers,
to their upheld wrists, were sub.
merged out Of sight under water.
Wonderful!
The doctor, using his arts, made
Bakhai lie quiet in hospitalA-a small
shed with half q dozen rough bamboo
couch.beds for equipment. On one OF
them my orderly, he OF the poisoned
arrow.wounded leg, was slowly get
ting we'll. There was a guard on
Bakhai all the time. OF course.
Thanks to DR.. Morrison's magic. the
pair recovered and were in due course
discharged. Orderly Awudu Ramanu
returned to me for duty. ana later
Bakhai arrived at my bush camp,
dave from everywhere, for disposal"
The man who emerged from hos.
initial. however, was not at all the
stout fellow who had come in at dawn
to give himself up. Bakhai came
out a poor thing, indeed-bent almost
double, 80 to go for the rest or MS
days; thin, haggard. prematureiy
aged: a grim. gloomy shadow only OF
the swift, supple, stalwart savage OK
a few weeks before.
The sight Of him distressed me; the
thought Of his going for trial worried
me. Conviction on charges OF attempt.
ing to murder a political oficer ana
dangerous wounding OF a soldier, potn
being engaged in the execution OF their
duty, meant 10 years at least. Inc
shooting Of soldiers and OF politlcai
officers must generally De ulscour'
ared. But this was a peculiar case.
Rakhai was really rather a fine chap.
Awudu Ramanu said 50 to me ana 1
agreed.
THE difficulty was in finding a way
l. out. For a while neither the
orderly nor / could see one. L nao
no power to amnesty the man anu
trial would inevitably result In a ind
ing Of guilty" and heavy sentence.
I couldn't keep Bakhai trekking round
the country with me indefinitely
Something had to be done, and quickly
But what?
we were In a very beautifully stu.
ated rest camp. On q little abrupt
rise that looked across a wooded plain
to the hills Il stood, tree shaded,
famed by whatever breeze there was.
Late in the afternoon quilted work
and strolied over to the guard hut,
Awudu Ramanu attending me. Sit
ting outside. gazing wistfully into the
sunset in the hills, sat Bakhai, sad.
and broken man. About him the
guard were busy cleaning their kit,
preparing the evening meal, putting
out their sleeping mats, smoking.
laughing, bantering. All except the
sentry with fixed bayonet, very close
to Bakhai. very official.
spoke to the prisoner and offered
him a cigarette. Very civilly he re-
turned my greeting. but declined the
smoke. I have never seen such
Indebtedness in mans eyes. To the
corporal I said: ''Get those irons off.
This is very sick man."
The corporal suggested that Bakhai
might try to run. l replied that q
man so damaged could not run. The
irons came off. I stood between
Bakhai and the guard. chatting with
the men about little wars and small
scuffiings in which we had shared.
The light was failing fast. Presently
| gave Bakhai a thrust with my foot
and talked on.
Then came a sudden shout. Hes
gomez l snatched the sentry's rife.
LET me shoot" I said. And / put a
bullet or two we'll over the fugitive's
head. just to inspire him to speed.
The corporal was for pursuit.
"Ratherm I told him. Take three |
men with you. Better leave the rifles |
here. You can take him with your |
hands; the rifles will only hamper you |
hurrying through the bush"
I thought it unlikely that any cor !