A WEIRD CREATURE 
tion of my men had seemed to me disgustingly vulgar, 
but it now appeared the acme of refinement when the 
new man opened his mouth to talk. Good gracious me! 
what extraordinary oaths, what perversion of ideas, what 
foaming hatred for the Creator, our Saviour, all the saints 
imaginable, and humanity in general! Evidently the poor 
man had a screw loose somewhere within his brain-case. 
I gave him some tobacco, a quantity of which I carried 
for my men. Without a word of acknowledgment he 
seized it, and, with paper my men gave him, proceeded to 
make himself a cigarette. 
44 1 am tired of this life,” said he, as he rolled the 
tobacco. 44 1 am a slave. I owe my master 1 conto 200 
milreis (£80). He sold me this rifle, and some cartridges, 
and I cannot repay him. I am rotting away with fever. 
I am dying of starvation, I am going mad in this place. 
... I have no more food, and have been unable for three 
days to catch fish. Do not let me die here. Take me with 
you. I will give you my rifle, this ring ” — a cheap ring 
which he proceeded to take from his finger —- 44 I shall 
work hard and require no pay if you will save me from 
death.” 
I told him that he had better consider his position 
seriously before doing anything rash. We should not be 
leaving until the next morning. 
The man, whom we shall call X, as I do not wish to 
divulge his real name, sat up the entire night talking to 
my men. His excitement was great, at least, judging 
by the loudness of his voice. During those long sleepless 
hours, with all of them shouting at the top of their voices, 
it was impossible to sleep, so I overheard the entire history 
of his life. What a life! I prayed my stars that X would 
change his mind and decide to stay where he was, for 
though I needed extra men badly I feared that his com¬ 
pany would not be a welcome addition to our party, bad 
as it was. Like all men who have lived much in seclusion, 
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