A Cold Fit Then Seized Me, And As
I Asked For Leave To Go, The King Gave Orders For One Of His
Wives To Be Flogged.
The reason for this act of brutality I did
not discover; but the moment the order was issued, the
Victim
begged the pages to do it quickly, that the king's wrath might be
appeased; and in an instant I saw a dozen boys tear their cord-
turbans from their heads pull her roughly into the middle of the
court, and belabour her with sticks, whilst she lay floundering
about, screeching to me for protection. All I did was to turn my
head away and walk rapidly out of sight, thinking it better not
to interfere again with the discipline of the palace; indeed, I
thought it not improbable that the king did these things
sometimes merely that his guests might see his savage power. On
reaching home I found Kahala standing like a culprit before my
door. She would not admit, what I suspected, that Meri had
induced her to run away; but said she was very happy in my house
until yester-evening, when Rozaro's sister told her she was very
stupid living with the Mzungu all alone, and told her to run
away; which she did, taking the direction of N'yamasore's, until
some officers finding her, and noticing beads on her neck, and
her hair cut, according to the common court fashion, in slopes
from a point in the forehead to the breadth of her ears,
suspected her to be one of the king's women, and kept her in
confinement all night, till Mtesa's men came this morning and
brought her back again.
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