The Mohammedan was the first witness and Strickland beamed upon him from the
back of the Court. The man moistened his lips with his tongue and, in his
abject fear of "Estreeken Sahib" the faquir, went back on every detail of his
evidence--said he was a poor man and God was his witness that he had forgotten
every thing that Bronckhorst Sahib had told him to say. Between his terror of
Strickland, the Judge, and Bronckhorst he collapsed, weeping.
Then began the panic among the witnesses. Janki, the ayah, leering chastely
behind her veil, turned gray, and the bearer left the Court. He said that his
Mamma was dying and that it was not wholesome for any man to lie unthriftily in
the presence of "Estreeken Sahib."
Biel said politely to Bronckhorst:--"Your witnesses don't seem to work. Haven't
you any forged letters to produce?" But Bronckhorst was swaying to and fro in
his chair, and there was a dead pause after Biel had been called to order.
Bronckhorst's Counsel saw the look on his client's face, and without more ado,
pitched his papers on the little green baize table, and mumbled something about
having been misinformed. The whole Court applauded wildly, like soldiers at a
theatre, and the Judge began to say what he thought.
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