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‘Twenty-six Nandi went off in twenty-six directions. My lieutenant is not a fool. He knew we might catch one if we ran hard and were lucky. He also knew that we had frightened them off and they would not continue to Nakuru. My bwana had saved the mission from attack and he would not waste more time.’

‘But you had lost almost four days?’

‘Ndio, Bwana Lieutenant.’

‘When you reached Niombi what did you find?’

‘Another Nandi war-party had raided the boma. They had killed the district commissioner, his wife and child. They had speared the baby and drowned the man and woman by pissing in their mouths.’

The judges leaned forward attentively as Bobby led Manyoro through a description of the Nandi ambush and the desperate fighting that had followed. Without visible emotion Manyoro told of how the rest of the troop had been cut down, and how he and Leon had fought their way into the boma and beaten back the attackers.

‘During the fight did your lieutenant behave like a man?’

‘He fought like a warrior.’

‘Did you see him kill any of the enemy?’

‘I saw him kill eight Nandi, but there may have been more. I myself was occupied.’

‘Then you received your wound. Tell us about that.’

‘Our ammunition was almost finished. We went out to recover more from our dead askari, who were lying in the parade-ground.’

‘Lieutenant Courtney went with you?’

‘He led the way.’

‘What happened then?’

‘One of the Nandi dogs shot an arrow at me. It struck me here.’ Manyoro drew up the leg of his khaki shorts and showed his bandaged leg.

‘Were you able to run with that wound?’

‘No.’

‘How did you escape?’

‘When he saw that I had been struck, Bwana Courtney turned back to fetch me. He carried me into the boma.’

‘You are a big man. He carried you?’

‘I am a big man because I am Masai. But Bwana Courtney is strong. His Masai name is Buffalo.’

‘What happened next?’

Manyoro described in detail how they had held out until the Nandi set fire to the building, how they had been forced to abandon it and use the cover of the smoke from the burning roof to escape into the banana plantation.

‘What did you do then?’

‘When we reached the open ground beyond the plantation I asked my bwana to leave me with his pistol and go on alone.’

‘Did you plan to kill yourself because you were crippled and you did not want the Nandi to catch and drown you as they had done to the district commissioner and his wife?’

‘I would have killed myself rather than die the Nandi way, but not before I had taken a few of the jackals with me,’ Manyoro agreed.

‘Your officer refused to leave you?’

‘He wanted to carry me on his back to the railway line. I told him it was four days’ march through Nandi tribal lands and that we already knew the ground was swarming with their war-parties. I told him my mother’s manyatta was only thirty miles distant and deep in Masailand where Nandi curs would never dare to follow. I told him that if he was determined to take me with him we should go that way.’

‘He did as you suggested?’

‘He did.’

‘Thirty miles? He carried you on his back for thirty miles?’

‘Perhaps a little further. He is a strong man.’

‘When the two of you reached your mother’s village, why did he not leave you there and return to Nairobi immediately?’

‘His feet were ruined by the march from Niombi. He could not walk further on them. My mother is a famous healer of great power. She treated his feet with her medicine. Bwana Courtney left the manyatta as soon as he was able to walk.’

Bobby paused and looked at the three judges. Then he asked, ‘Sergeant Manyoro, what are your feelings for Lieutenant Courtney?’

Manyoro answered, with quiet dignity, ‘My bwana and I are brothers of the warrior blood.’

‘Thank you, Sergeant. I have no further questions for you.’

For a long moment there was a hush of awe in the courtroom. Then Colonel Wallace roused himself. ‘Lieutenant Roberts, do you wish to cross-examine this man?’

Eddy conferred hurriedly with Major Snell, then stood up reluctantly. ‘No, sir, I have no questions for him.’

‘Are there any more witnesses? Will you call your client to the stand, Lieutenant Sampson?’ Colonel Wallace asked. He pulled out his watch and consulted it pointedly.

‘With the court’s indulgence, I shall call Lieutenant Courtney. However, I have almost finished and will not detain the court much longer.’

‘I am relieved to hear that. You may proceed.’

When Leon took the stand Bobby handed him a sheaf of papers and asked, ‘Lieutenant Courtney, is this your official report of the Niombi expedition, which you gave to your commanding officer?’

Leon thumbed through it quickly. ‘Yes, this is my report.’

‘Is there anything in it you wish to retract? Anything you wish to add to it?’

‘No, there is not.’

‘You affirm under oath that this report is true and correct in every detail?’

‘I do.’

Bobby took the document from him and placed it before the judges. ‘I wish this report to be entered into evidence.’