search list with the remark—"One heavy bamboo club, stained with blood." Strange to say, when this lathi was produced in Court the next day but one, it did show unmistakable stains of blood. The Daroga then got the witnesses to sign the search list. Giving the Doctor Babu an ironical salute, executed in the military style, he triumphantly marched back to the thana.
All this time, poor Babu Hara Govind was quietly sitting in a chair, placed just outside the kitchen door. The ladies were inside—so he did not stir from there for one single moment, lest the ruffians should offer any insult to them.
When the Daroga cleared out, Hara Govind Babu left his post and came outside. The search witnesses were still loitering there. "You have seen everything, gentlemen,"—he said.
"Yes, we have,"—said one of them.
"I am going to see the District Magistrate. Would you mind coming with me to his bungalow for a few minutes?"
"What for"—said one.
"I want to go and state the whole affair to him. I want to see whether he takes any steps to mete out justice to me."
The two men stood silent for a little while. The Doctor, growing impatient, said—"What do you say, gentlemen? Would you come with me?"
