THE BABU. 277 



when it was over ! The babu disappeared in 

 his station. 



About an hour later he approached us, very 

 deprecating, and handed us a telegram. It was 

 from the district commissioner at Voi ordering us 

 to report for flogging " porters on the Tsavo 

 Station platform." 



" I am truly sorry, I am truly sorry," the 

 babu was murmuring at our elbows. 



" What does this mean ? " we demanded of 

 him. 



He produced a thick book. 



" It is in here the law," he explained. " You 

 must not flog men on the station platform. It 

 was my duty to report." 



" How did we know that ? Why didn't you 

 tell us ? " 



" If you had gone there " he pointed ten 

 feet away to a spot exactly like all other spots 

 " it would have been off the platform. Then I 

 had nothing to say." 



We tried to become angry. 



" But why in blazes couldn't you have told us 

 of that quietly and decently ? We'd have 

 moved." 



"It is the law " He tapped his thick 



book. 



