THE CRAVEN FRANZ 
293 
Tschukoorroo was now called, and crouching before the king 
was questioned with regard to our doings, how he had captured 
us, etc., etc.; to all of which he gave answers that we, not being 
masters of the language, of course could not understand, nor 
could we get Franz to interpret what was going on of so much 
importance to us. All he would bring over his parched lips in 
a hoarse dry whisper was, ‘ Baas, be still, please be still,’ as he 
thought it against the rules to speak before the king while the 
inquiry was going on, in which presumption he was correct so 
far as it concerned those who understood the language. But in 
cases where an interpreter is used it is quite permissible for 
him to relate the incidents as they transpire in an undertone to 
his principal. When the king was finished with Tschukoorroo, 
another salvo was fired, and we were ordered to come nearer 
to the council. Asking permission to sit, as we objected to 
crouch, we brought our seats forward and sat down, with Franz, 
who was to act as interpreter, kneeling by us. He was in 
such an unpardonable ‘ funk ’ that his tongue clove to the 
roof of his mouth, and he could not speak to answer the 
questions the king put to us. He simply knelt there and 
stammered, at which the more antagonistic chiefs gave several 
triumphant grunts, and looked exultingly at us. There is no 
evidence amongst natives that carries so much weight as fright. 
They argue, if a man has a free conscience his bearing will show 
it, and the reverse in the other case. Paul would have done 
excellently as interpreter, but, being implicated, we dared not use 
him. 
Pushing Franz on one side, I asked in the best Sesutu I 
could muster for another interpreter, pointing out Franz’s defects 
in that direction. More than fortunately there was another 
coloured man, called Marteens, residing at the king’s kraal, who 
had but lately arrived from Shoshong, and spoke Dutch well. 
He was sent for and the business proceeded. The same ques¬ 
tions were put to us as on the previous day by Mashabie: What 
were we doing at the back of the king’s country ? Why were 
we making maps ? What was that mysterious thing that 
