TREACHEROUS TRACKERS 95 



«toiie. In a moment lie was carried f;ir astern. He 

 was a good swimmer, and after half an honr's struggle 

 managed to reach the shore — a miraculons escape. 

 Many sampans were a])OUt, but not one would put ofl 

 to render him the slightest assistance. There were 

 fifty-two trackers on the tow rope besides my own men, 

 and their deliberate refusal to exert themselves was the 

 <*ause of the boat getting into this perilous position. I 

 have no doubt it was a plot among them to wreck her, 

 either from ill-feeling or from the hope of being able to 

 steal the wreckage. After half an hour the current 

 took us off, having swept the boat clear, and then after 

 getting outside again, the ascent was safely made. My 

 men now landed, and though they were in such small 

 numbers, attacked the natives and inflicted a severe 

 chastisement, not, however, without receiving some 

 heavy blows in return. These trackers, I should men- 

 tion, were not paid a single cash. I went down to the 

 place where the man was who had fallen overboard, 

 taking some whisky with me. I found him rather 

 weak and exhausted, but he returned on board with me, 

 and was all right the next day. Unless he had been 

 such a powerful man he must have been drowned. 



Wliile the boat was fast on the rock, the body of a 

 man was washed down the river, a poor tracker, I 

 should say, for he had what I took to be a tracking- 



