Vv TROUBLES WITH THE WORKMEN 59 
hanged for it, as the Szvfar (Government) would 
soon find out the truth and would disbelieve their 
story that I had been carried off by a lion. I said 
that I knew quite well that it was only one or two 
scoundrels among them who had induced them to 
behave so stupidly, and urged them not to allow 
themselves to be made fools of in this way. Even 
supposing they were to carry out their plan of killing 
me, would not another ‘“ Sahib” at once be set over 
them, and might he not be an even harder task- 
master? They all knew that I was just and fair to 
the real worker; it was only the scoundrels and 
shirkers who had anything to fear from me, and 
were upright, self-respecting Pathans going to allow 
themselves to be led away by men of that kind? 
Once having got them to listen to me, I felt a little 
more secure, and I accordingly went on to say that 
the discontented among them would be allowed to 
return at once to Mombasa, while if the others 
resumed work and I heard of no further plotting, | 
would take no notice of their foolish conduct. 
Finally I called upon those who were willing to 
return to work to hold up their hands, and instantly 
every hand in the crowd was raised. I then felt 
that for the moment the victory was mine, and after 
dismissing them, I jumped down from the rock and 
continued my rounds as if nothing had happened, 
measuring a stone here and there and commenting 
