ENCAMPMENT IN THE WILDERNESS 109 



always found the rudest followers of my party interested 

 greatly in the nightly read, provided only that I took 

 care to select a book that treated of a subject which they 

 could understand. Masterpieces of fiction were always 

 favourites. On this particular occasion I suffered so 

 much in mind (the only discomfort I noticed) for want 

 of books, that I determined never again to subject myself 

 to the deprivation. Afterwards I carried with me from 

 one to several dozens of the paper-covered sixpenny 

 editions of popular works, such as are published by 

 several of the leading London firms. These are so easily 

 packed, and take up so little room, that I found them 

 invaluable. 



May I say a word or two concerning religion ? I 

 never permitted, in my company, the Supreme Being to 

 be ignored, and, what is more, I never had in my parties 

 a man who showed a desire to ignore Him. Often I 

 selected men of great ignorance and doubtful character, 

 because I consider that such men, properly handled, 

 made the best servants for such expeditions as mine. 

 It is necessary for the leader of a party in the Avilderness 

 to be a man whom his followers admit and feel to be 

 markedly their superior in some way or other, or in 

 some knowledge or other ; otherwise they will so learn 

 to despise him, and perhaps to ignore him. Now a man 

 who knows everything, or thinks himself equal to any 

 occasion, always makes a bad follower, and an even worse 

 leader. But, nevertheless, the leader must be a man of 

 superior knowledge to his men, and yet have the art to 

 let his men find out for themselves that he is a capable 

 leader. Anything like parade or bounce, and above all, 

 selfishness, which is injustice, is sure to have a bad in- 

 fluence on followers. And I have never found a better 

 way of establishing my position with my men, than by 

 letting them see that I feared God. I beg that I may 

 not be misunderstood. I am no advocate for reliofious 

 argument or for camp-preaching, though I despise not 



