He had, of course, been obliged to order
the dismissal of many of them, and this was one reason why they hated
him; but the chief cause was his treatment of Sooka, the patrao. That
man never forgave Mr. Bransome for beating him so unjustly; and the
news of the deed had travelled very quickly, as news does in savage
countries, so that I think nearly all of Sooka's countrymen knew of the
act and resented it.
Mr. Bransome was quite unaware of the antipathy he had thus created
toward himself, except so far as Sooka was concerned; and him he never
employed when he had to go off to vessels or land from them, but always
went in the other boat belonging to the factory, which was steered by a
much younger negro. In addition to humbling Sooka in this way, Bransome
took the opportunity of disgracing him whenever he could do so.
Therefore, one day when two pieces of cloth from the cargo-room were
found in the boatmen's huts, it was no surprise to me that Sooka was at
once fastened upon by Mr. Bransome as the thief who had stolen them,
and that he was tied to the flogging-post in the middle of the yard, and
sentenced to receive fifty lashes with the cat that was kept for such
a purpose, and all without any inquiry being made.
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