"I and my people will pay the Government's tax, we have our money here,
we pay willingly and in full; but the Barushu will not pay, they will
fight the Government."
Wrenshaw eyed the speaker angrily and replied: "The Barushu will pay.
All will pay the Government tax and all will pay willingly and in full.
Who are you to speak of fighting? Take your receipts and go. Tell all
you meet by the way that the Barushu are paying the Government tax
willingly and in full."
"I will tell them, Morena," said the old native Chief as he rose to go.
But there was no conviction in his tone, though his attitude towards the
white man was respectful.
Wrenshaw felt anxious. He had heard vague rumours that the Barushu, a
large tribe living some twenty miles to the North, would refuse to pay
the native tax. This would be awkward. It would have a bad effect on the
rest of the tribes. He had been charged with preparing his district for
the imposition of the tax. For two years he had worked hard and had then
reported that all was in readiness to collect the tax for the first
time. This was quite true of all the tribes of which he had control,
save, perhaps, of the Barushu. They were a truculent people who had
always threatened trouble, although they had never actually given any.
His two Native Commissioners, who were busy receiving tax-money from
another Chief, were puzzled to find that there were many more people in
this particular community than the census papers showed.
It was Wrenshaw who discovered the curious fraud which was being
perpetrated by the Chief. It appeared that having met all demands of
him, he deliberately invented names. When asked how it was that all
these people had failed to have their names recorded on the census, he
suggested that they must have been away from home at the time.
At last the truth came out.
"I pay willingly," said the old man; "willingly and in full, Morena. I
have paid all the money I have to the Government because the Government
asks for money. I am not a Barushu to refuse to pay. What does it matter
how many people I have; does not the Government want money, and is it
not right that I should give all I have to the Government?"
"Old man," said Wrenshaw kindly, "take back your money. The Barushu will
certainly pay. If, when all have paid, the Government still wants money,
I will ask you for it. For this time you have done enough; you have paid
willingly and well."
Then, turning to his assistants, he directed them to cross out all the
new and obviously fictitious names which they had just entered in the
register and return the money paid in excess of the amount due. Later,
and at their leisure, they could check the census, and if they found
that any of the people really did exist, they could, of course, accept
the money.
As he was speaking a cattle-trader hurried up, panting. "There is a
rising!" he shouted; "the Barushu are up. They have killed my partner
and taken my cattle. They have beaten the police and will soon be here.
Quick! Form a laager and let's get into it!"
"Stop that, and go in there!" said Wrenshaw, pointing to his tent. To
the officials who had been receiving the tax-money and issuing receipts
he gave instructions to carry on.