"Identify the accused."
"Haven't I done so already?"
"Yes, yes—but you must make yourself thoroughly acquainted with their faces to-night. To-morrow some Deputy Magistrate will come and mix up the three accused with half a dozen other boys of the same age—and you will be required to pick them out.[1] If you fail, bang goes your case."
"But the Sahib may be annoyed if I stay away long."
"Go and ask him for leave for a couple of hours."
The Khansama did as he was directed, explaining everything. His master gave him the leave, saying to himself—"How dishonest these dd native Police are!"
The Daroga then got hold of certain other "witnesses"—shopkeepers and others from the bazar and brought them to the thana. For fear of the Police they agreed to depose to the very little they had seen and a good deal they had not seen. The whole of the evening was spent in giving these "witnesses" a thorough drill as to their statements in Court, and also in preparing them for to-morrow's "honest identification."
- ↑ This procedure is known as "honest identification" in Police parlance.—Translator.
