"Sorry, Madam. Well—the poor but honest headman, being only a Simple Villager, smiled at the back of his simple mind.
"‘It shall be as the Huzoor orders,' said he.
"And he went forth. Then he went fifth—to the shikari of the village. Then they went nap—on the Vegetarian Mugger of Soni.
They made a lovely machan place for the Travelling M.P. to sit on—where there was no shade but plenty of nice glare, and then, on a sand-bank, right in the very spot where their vegetarian Grandpa was wont to come daily and bask in the sun, they drove a strong stake. And all the people smiled and said 'Amen'. . . ."
"A strong steak of goat?" inquired the President.
Buster laughed.
"No, a strong stake of wood. The kind you use for burning holy martyrs and things. Then they got a stout cord, and, from a thin iron rod, the village blacksmith made a very big strong hook. Well, next morning, down to the ford marched the Travelling M.P. with his rifle, to rid the village of this Frightful Scourge also.
