THE RAAD 191 



tenced the culprit, who had admitted his guilt, 

 to receive three dozen with a " strop," which 

 were immediately and energetically inflicted. 

 The punishment, although illegal, had been 

 richly deserved. I considered that the Raad 

 had acted with propriety, — but it was neces- 

 sary to be guarded in what I said. If the prin- 

 ciple involved had been given formal official 

 sanction, it might have been logically applied 

 to more serious cases, — those, for instance, in 

 which capital punishment would have been 

 due. If, at some future time, the Vicar under 

 my implied authority had erected a gallows 

 and engaged the services of a Lord High Exe- 

 cutioner, it would have been awkward, to say 

 the least of it. 



Accordingly I temporised. Lothario of the 

 shifty eye was informed that his case would 

 be duly considered at head-quarters. So it 

 would, — by the moths inhabiting the pigeon- 

 holes of the Record Office in Cape Town. 

 Nevertheless I should have to deal cunningly 

 with this episode so as to avoid raising a hum- 

 anitarian howl. However, I meant, so far as I 

 could to support the authority of the Raad. 

 The result of discrediting that would have 

 been to loosen the bonds of the moral law, — to 

 hand the Richtersveld over to be exploited by 



