MUTINY 141 



shouted out that he was not a camel, &c. Seizing the 

 nettle I ordered him to receive twenty lashes. An- 

 other of the same regiment then volunteered for 

 punishment. It was touch and go. I sent him to 

 the guard room as drunk, and led off the patrol. 

 Half were on the point of refusing to budge, the other 

 half waited on them. Wahbi Eff. behaved most loyally. 

 I had gone more than half a mile, however, before my 

 servant told me that they were streaming after me. 



Fortunately the road ceased within half a mile from 

 the station, and a winding path in a dense forest does 

 not help conversation. The men were still sulky 

 when we crossed the Biri River, a lovely rocky stream 

 overhung by trees, and mirroring the honeysuckle like 

 flowers of the rubber vine. 



I walked till I was tired, thinking that if the men 

 came in like condition they would go to sleep at once. 

 As luck would have it they took the wrong road, and 

 came in very late and very apologetic. In these little 

 contretemps of travel I never feel even inclined to lose 

 my temper — they are inevitable. I think this was the 

 beginning of the mutual liking that rose between us. 

 The path was narrow, made more so by the strong 

 leaves of young doleib palm-trees. We passed the 

 hills near Babai Beshir where Felkin broke off in his 

 journey to J. Liffi. At a place called Doleib we halted 

 near two pools. The place is so called because it lies 

 in the long belt of that kind of palm that runs N.E. and 

 S.W. from it. 



We reached Faranghai in four marches, and it so 

 happening that there was no water a well had to be 



