"I would have you understand," said Sanders to the culprit the next day, "that I cannot allow my servants to get drunk; more especially I cannot allow my drunken servants to sleep off their potations on my bed." "Lord, I am ashamed," said Lataki cheerfully; "such things happen to a man who has seen much of the world." "You may say the same about the whipping you are about to receive," said Sanders, and gave an order to the sergeant of police. Lataki was no stoic and when, tied to a tree, ten strokes were laid upon his stout back by a bored Houssa, he cried out very loudly against Sanders, and against that civilisation of which Sanders was the chosen instrument. After it was all over, and he had discovered that he was still alive, albeit sore, he confessed he had received little more than he deserved, and promised tearfully that the lesson should not be without result. Sanders, who had nothing more to say in the matter, dismissed him to his duties. It was a week after this that the Commissioner was dining in solitude on palm-oil chop--which is a delicious kind of coast curry--and chicken. He had begun his meal when he stopped suddenly, went to his office, and brought in a microscope. Then he took a little of the "chop"--just as much as might go on the end of a pin--smeared it on a specimen glass, and focussed the instrument. What he saw interested him. He put away the microscope and sent for Lataki; and Lataki, in spotless white, came. "Lataki," said Sanders carelessly, "knowing the ways of white men, tell me how a master might do his servant honour?" The cook in the doorway hesitated. "There are many ways," he said, after a pause. "He might----" He stopped, not quite sure of his ground. "Because you are a good servant, though possessed of faults," said Sanders, "I wish to honour you; therefore I have chosen this way; you, who have slept in my bed unbidden, shall sit at my table with me at my command." The man hesitated, a little bewildered, then he shuffled forward and sat clumsily in the chair opposite his master. "I will wait upon you," said Sanders, "according to the custom of your own people." He heaped two large spoonfuls of palm-oil chop upon the plate before the man. "Eat," he said. But the man made no movement, sitting with his eyes upon the tablecloth. "Eat," said Sanders again, but still Lataki sat motionless. Then Sanders rose, and went to the open doorway of his bungalow and blew a whistle. There was a patter of feet, and Sergeant Abiboo came with four Houssas. "Take this man," said Sanders, "and put him in irons. To-morrow I will send him down country for judgment." He walked back to the table, when the men had gone with their prisoner, carefully removed the poisoned dish, and made a meal of eggs and bananas, into neither of which is it possible to introduce ground glass without running the risk of instant detection.