Part 3
I bent over as he'd told me. Behind me I saw him moving round to my left, and heard him breathing noisily. Then there was a swish, and I felt the quirt whip across the seat of my jeans: it was so whippy that as it went right from one side to the other it left no part underneath spared. 'Ow' I shouted, but immediately another fell, and another, and another. God, I thought, can the money really be worth this agony. He may have appeared to be unfit, but this was hurting like hell. Another two strokes resulted in nearly all my arse being covered, and left stinging. 'Get up, boy. That's just to warm you up. There's plenty more to come yet.' I stood up and started to rub my backside. 'Earlier this evening' said Edward 'I got James to make me a device which I'd like to try out on you.' He moved over to the door, and picked up something that looked like a bunch of twigs. As he returned to the centre of the room I saw it was a birch, made up of about half a dozen fresh thin shoots from which the spring leaves had been removed. I took a step backwards. 'First we need to get you a bit closer to how nature made you. Take off your trousers.' I shook my head. 'Are you going to do as I tell you, boy, or do I have to get the blacks in to persuade you more forcibly?' I stepped back some more: I knew I wasn't going to go that far, even if it meant I forfeited the money. Taking off my jeans in front of these old codgers would be tantamount to surrendering my personal independence. Anthony came to my rescue, in his most languid and urbane accent: 'Um, Edward, I rather think this lovely development is making our English guest unhappy. I wonder if you'd mind me suggesting that you reconsider your proposal, and continue the punishment in a way that allows Mark to retain his trousers. For example,' he went on, 'I have some interesting tools over here which I'm sure would attract his attention, even through his jeans. Perhaps you'd care to cast your eye over them?' He took Edward's arm and led him over to a chest on the floor; they spoke to each other in low tones. I was still standing near the centre of the room being watched by the other men. When he came back Edward was holding the cane which Anthony had used to thrash us the previous week, and another crook-handled plain one. He showed me the plain one: 'This is a local product,' he said. 'It's the sort we used to use to thrash the blacks. If you're can get our host to protect you from a bare bum birching, you can have this instead; it should warm you up nearly as well. Come over here.' He motioned me towards a tack table, from which Anthony was clearing the surface of riding equipment. 'Bend over that, and stretch your arms out in front of you.'
The edge of the wooden table dug into my crotch, where I could feel my erection returning. The other men moved round to my right, while Edward lightly tapped my bum with the cane. 'Two dozen, boy. If you make any fuss, you'll get another dozen.' I bit my tongue, and started deep breathing again. The first stroke landed right in the middle of my backside, and the pain of it almost took my breath away. It was different from the other cane because its sting was immediate, almost like a bite, but then it built up. He whipped me all over my arse. My hands had nothing to cling on to, and my legs were waving in the air most of the time. I kept biting my tongue, and managed not to make any sound though it was hellishly difficult. At one point I saw the other men leering at me, and later I was aware that Edward was getting very puffed. I hadn't been able to keep count of the strokes, but suddenly they stopped. I was moaning slightly and rocking on the table on my erection. Silence followed. Alan, one of the other men, said to Anthony: 'I've always wanted to cane a white boy, and never had the opportunity till now. Do you think he'd let me?' Anthony looked in my direction. 'Mark's a strong lad, but he's already taken a good hiding. I think you'd have to make it worth his while.' 'What does he want ... is it _s_e_x_ ...? You know I'm not interested in boys.' 'I think he might consider it for cash' Anthony said lightly. I didn't know what the hell to do. I was hurting furiously, and just wanted to get away from this group. I heard Anthony saying 'I think he might take another dozen or so, but it'll be expensive for you. How much do you want to do it.' Alan immediately said 'If I can give him a dozen, all of them, I'll pay him five thousand rand.' I thought this is bloody crazy; how much money have they got, and don't I get a say in it? Anthony went on 'What about you, John? Are you going to want a go too?' John seemed more hesitant. 'I'll see how he takes Alan's, but I'd be prepared to match Alan's terms.'
Finally Anthony turned to me. I was still lying face down over the edge of the tack table, with my arse stinging like a bush fire. 'Well, Mark? What do you say? It's your decision. You've heard what these gentlemen are prepared to offer you to indulge them.' Still biting my tongue, I looked at Anthony and nodded my head. 'Right gentlemen,' he said 'he's all yours.'
Alan picked a cane from the selection in the chest, and made it whistle through the air. He walked over to me and tapped my backside lightly with it. I could see the front of his trousers starting to bulge. Then he drew his arm back and brought the cane down sharply.
And so it started again. He was younger than Edward, and there was more brute force in his strokes, but they didn't seem to have the same penetrating sting. I thought this was going to be easier to take than I'd feared. After the first three strokes I realised it was actually rather a pleasant sensation, and I started to enjoy it.
* * * * *
Over the next ten months I was used as a whipping boy like this about once a month. I was beaten by a wide variety of men, in all sorts of different ways, and the circumstances under which I got it varied a lot (but that's a story for another time). Anthony made sure that I got paid every time, and I've done very well out of it, even if I did have to buy a new pair of Levis.
He's given me some telephone numbers to contact now I'm back, but he's warned me there'll probably be no money involved if I do follow them up.
I'm invited back again next summer.
My year in the Republic wasn't at all what I'd expected, but all in all it was a fantastic gap year, which I shall never forget.