lie exhibited the garment that bore the unmistakeable
impression of the dollars, and the freshly-cut ends of
the thread proved that it had been ripped open very
recently. Of course I was magistrate, and in all cases
I was guided by my own code of laws, being at some
thousand miles from an Act of Parliament.
Wat Gamma had no suspicion of any person in particular,
but his money had evidently been stolen.
“ Who was drunk last night fl ” I inquired. “ We
were all drunk,” replied the plaintiff. j Who was very
drunk, and who was the least drunk ? ” I inquired.
This entailed a discussion among the people who had
now assembled. It appeared that most of them had
been <c very drunk i” others only a little drunk; and
one old white-headed Arab camel-driver had been
perfectly sober, as he never drank anything but water.
This was old Mini, a splendid specimen of a fine
partriarchal Arab; he declared "that he had not even
joined the party. Wat Gamma had left his garment
rolled up in the mat, upon which he usually slept; this
was in the same spot where the camel-drivers lived, and
where old Mini declared he was fast asleep during the
drinking bout.
I had my suspicions, but to express them would,
have defeated the chance of discovery. I therefore
adopted my usual rule in cases of theft. I counted my
people : nine camel-men, five Tokrooris, Taher Noor,
and Bacheetf in all sixteen, without Wat Gamma.
Three dollars were sixty piastres,—sixty divided by
sixteen equalled three piastres and thirty paras. Thus
I condemned the whole party to make up the loss, by
each paying his share of the amount stolen, unless the
thief could be discovered.
This plan was generally successful, as the thief was
the only man contented with the arrangement. Every
innocent man became a detective, as he was determined
not to pay a fine for another’s theft. A tremendous
row took place, every one was talking and no one
listening, and the crowd went away from my court of
justice, determined to search the affair to the bottom.
In about half an hour they all returned, with the
exception of old Mini ; they had searched everywhere,
and had found three : dollars concealed in the stuffing
of a camel’s saddle, that belonged to Mini. He was
the sober man, who had been asleep while the others
were drinking. I considered the case proved ; and
Mini, having confessed, requested that I would flog
him rather than deliver him to the Tokroori authorities,
who would imprison him and take' away his camel. I
told him that I would not disgrace his tribe by flogging
one of their oldest men, but that I should take
him before the Sheik of Gallabat, and fine him the
amount that he had stolen. This I immediately did,
and Mini handed over to Jemma with great reluctance,
three dollars for the poor-box of Gallabat, or the privatè
pocket of the sheik, as the case may be.
On my return to camp I visited the establishments
of the various slave merchants : these were
arranged under large tents formed of matting, and
contained many young girls of extreme beauty,
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