v TROUBLES WITH THE WORKMEN 59 



hanged for it, as the Sirkar (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, I 

 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 



