5 68 TRAVELS TO DISCOVER 



loaded at the river-fide, alledging it was unlucky to turn 

 back upon a journey ; he made them again take the bag- 

 gage on their moulders, and carry it to the very place where 

 our mules had halted, and there lay it down. On this they 

 all flocked about him, begging that he would not report 

 them to his mailer, as fearing fome fine, or heavy chaftife- 

 ment, would fall upon their villages. The guide looked 

 very fulky, faid but very little, and that all in praife of 

 himfelf, of his known mildnefs and moderation; as an in- 

 ftance of which he appealed (impudently enough) to his late 

 behaviour towards them. If fuch a one, fays he, naming a 

 man that they knew, had been in my place, what a fine 

 reckoning he would have made with you; why, your punifh- 

 jnent would not have ended in feven years. They all acknow- 

 ledged the truth of his obfervation, as well as his moder- 

 ation, gave him great commendations, and, I believe, fome 

 promifes when he palled there on his return. 



Here I thought our affair happily ended to the fatisfac- 

 tion of all parties. I mounted my horfe, and Woldo went to 

 a large filk bag, or purfe, which I had given him full of 

 tobacco, and he had his match and pipe in his hand, juft as 

 if he was going to fill it before he fet out; he then unloofed 

 the bag, felt it on the outfide, putting firfl: his three fingers, 

 then his whole hand, pinching and fqueezing it both within- 

 fide and without ; at laft he broke out in a violent tranfport 

 of rage, crying that his gold was gone, and that they had 

 robbed him of it. I had not till this fpoke one word : I 

 afked him what he meant by his gold. He faid he had two 

 ounces (value about 5L) in his tobacco purfe, and that fome 

 perfon had laid hold of them when the baggage lay on the 

 other fide of the water ; that the Agows had done it, and 

 2 that 



