A LUCKY FIND 
demanded his money, as he wished to leave at once. The 
contract I had with him was different from that I had 
with the other men. I had agreed to pay him on reaching 
the nearest point of civilization, where I would let him 
loose again. I therefore said that I would most certainly 
pay him the very minute he had fulfilled his contract. 
I paid no more attention to his threat, although I 
heard the click of the hammer of his rifle being cocked. I 
told him to get some wood to make a fire, as I wished 
to make myself a cup of chocolate. 
In unpacking some of my instruments I had made a 
great discovery — a box of chocolate, which had strayed 
into a package by mistake. 
X seemed undecided whether to shoot or not. I made 
no attempt to take the rifle out of his hand, as that would 
have been fatal. After a few moments he sat down on a 
rock a few yards away, his rifle resting on his knees and 
pointing in my direction, while I myself collected some 
small pieces of wood and proceeded to make the fire. 
Filippe the negro, who had his eye on the box of 
chocolate, came and helped to blow the flame. We got 
some water and boiled it in a large tin cup. While we 
were doing that I heard rifles being fired in the forest, and 
presently Antonio returned with some fine jacu (Pene¬ 
lope cristata) he had shot. 
The entire morning of August twelfth was absolutely 
wasted, owing to the conduct of my men. Even after they 
had had a good meal, not a particle of which they offered 
me — not that I asked them for it — they were still in a 
riotous mood. 
As was my habit when I had anything to eat, I always 
shared it in equal parts with them: when the chocolate 
was ready — notwithstanding their behaviour — I asked 
them for their cups, and each one received his share of 
that delicious beverage. As usual also, I sorted out that 
day to each man the customary allowance of tobacco 
205 
