Plays: Lady Frederick, The Explorer, A Man of Honor Part 74

ALEC.

[_Taking from his pocket an exploded cartridge._] This was found about two yards from the body. As you see, it's a revolver cartridge. It was brought to me this evening.

GEORGE.

I don't know what that proves.

ALEC.

You know just as well as I do that none of our natives has a revolver.

Besides ourselves only two or three of the servants have them.

[GEORGE _becomes white with fear, he takes out his handkerchief and wipes his face_.

ALEC.

[_Quietly._] Will you give me your revolver?

GEORGE.

I haven't got it. I lost it in the skirmish this afternoon. I didn't tell you as I thought you'd be annoyed.

ALEC.

I saw you cleaning it less than an hour ago.

GEORGE.

[_With a shrug of the shoulders._] Perhaps it's in my tent, I'll go and see.

ALEC.

[_Sharply._] Stop here.

GEORGE.

[_Angrily._] You've no right to talk to me like that. I'm sick to death of being ordered about. You seem to think I'm a dog. I came out here of my own free will, and I won't let you treat me as if I were a servant.

ALEC.

If you put your hand to your hip pocket, I think you'll find your revolver there.

GEORGE.

I'm not going to give it to you.

ALEC.

[_Quietly._] D'you want me to come and take it from you myself?

[_The two men stare at one another for a moment.

Then_ GEORGE _slowly puts his hand to his pocket. He lakes out the revolver and suddenly aims at_ ALEC. d.i.c.k _beats up his arm as he fires, and the_ DOCTOR, _springing forward, seizes him round the waist_. ALEC _remains still_.

d.i.c.k.

[_During the struggle._] You young blackguard!

GEORGE.

Let me go, d.a.m.n you!

ALEC.

You need not hold him.

[_They leave go of_ GEORGE, _who sinks cowering into a chair_. d.i.c.k _hands the revolver to_ ALEC. _He silently fits into a chamber the cartridge that had been brought to him._

ALEC.

You see that it fits. Hadn't you better make a clean breast of it?

GEORGE.

[_Cowed._] Yes, I shot her. She made a row, and the devil got into me. I didn't know I'd done anything till she screamed and I saw the blood....

What a fool I was to throw the cartridge away! I wanted to have all the chambers charged.

ALEC.

Do you remember that two months ago I hanged a man to the nearest tree because he'd outraged a native woman?

GEORGE.

[_Springing up in terror._] You wouldn't do that to me, Alec. Oh, G.o.d, no, Alec, have mercy on me. You wouldn't hang me. Oh, why did I ever come to this d.a.m.ned place?

ALEC.

You need not be afraid. I'm not going to do that. In any case I must preserve the native respect for the white man.

GEORGE.

I was half drunk when I saw that woman. I wasn't responsible for my actions.

ALEC.

The result is that the whole tribe has turned against us. The chief is my friend, and he sent a message to tell me he couldn't hold them in.

It's from him I got the cartridge. It wouldn't be so serious, only the best fighting part of our forces are the Turkana, and we must expect treachery. They've stirred up the neighbouring tribes against us, and all the work we've been doing for a year is undone. That's the explanation of the Arabs' attack three days ago.

GEORGE.