"I bought her," replied the soldier, with an air of pride.
"Since we started? In that case you have been guilty of disobedience to orders. We have expressly forbidden all traffic in slaves as far as this caravan is concerned."
"I have not disobeyed your orders. The woman was mine long ago; she had accompanied me in many of my expeditions, and Nassar allowed me to bring her with me."
"Where is she?"
"Down there, in that thicket we have just passed."
"Why does she stay behind? You have been ill-using her, I suppose."
"No; I have cut her head off," replied the soldier, quite simply, as if the beheading of a slave were the most natural thing in the world.
"Wretch!" exclaimed M. Périères, seizing him by the arm, and compelling him to stop.
The Nubian did not in the least understand this indignation. He possessed a slave who was bound to follow him, to carry his baggage, grind his corn, and work for him during the journey.
This woman ran away, and, as it was a first offence, he contented himself with thrashing her; on the following day she ran away again, and then he killed her, feeling convinced that, if he spared her life, she would abscond once more, and his property would pass from him to somebody else.