F.ipiatov.
selected, and the dangling end of the rope was fastened
round his neck; the tree sprang several inches
higher, drawing the man’s form up, straining the neck,
and almost lifting the body from the ground. The
executioner then advanced with his short broad-bladed
falchion, and measured his distance by stretching his
weapon from the position he intended to strike across
the nape of the neck. He repeated this operation
twice. At the third time he struck, severing the head
clean from the body. It was whipped up to the air
by the spring of the released tree and sent rebounding
several yards away. The remaining captives were
despatched one after another in like manner. Their
heads were unfleshed by boiling, that the skulls might
decorate the poles round the grave. The bodies were
dragged away and thrown into the Congo; the soil
saturated with the blood was gathered up and buried
with the defunct chief.
However much our young military lieutenant might
have wished to exert himself to save these victims of
savage usage, since money would not buy their liberty,
he had to content himself with knowing that he was
as yet helpless. The year of grace will no doubt
come in its own destined time, but it may not be
hurried. To violently resist the butchers with rifles
would simply have been to make them victims instead,
and to depopulate the land.
On the 13th we left Equator Station, and arrived at
Usindi late in the afternoon. Yumbila, the guide, was
delivered, with his wages, to his master Miyongo, who