ONE MORE MUTINY 
When, the next morning, I ordered them to pack the 
animals in order to proceed on our journey, there was 
an unpleasant scene, approaching mutiny. They knocked 
things about and refused to go on. Then they sat, rifles 
in hand, a little way off, grumbling and grunting, with 
vicious expressions upon their faces. They were going to 
do wonderful things; they were indeed! I overheard them. 
One man came forward — the spokesman. The men 
claimed their money up to date since the last payment made 
to them — only a fortnight before. They all wished to go. 
“ Certainly/’ was my immediate reply. Without a 
moment’s hesitation they were each handed over their full 
pay, and without giving the slightest attention to them, 
Alcides, who had remained faithful, and I — poor Filippe 
had been dragged against himself into the plot — collected 
all the animals and packed them. Without one look or 
word, as if they had not existed, I started off the troop 
of animals and got on my saddle to depart last. With 
the corner of my eye I kept a watch on them, as with 
men of that kind the chief danger was when you had your 
back turned. 
I had gone only a few yards when I heard some one 
sobbing behind my mule. As I turned round, the two 
outstretched hands of Filippe were handing me back the 
sum of money I had paid a few moments before. He was 
begging me to keep it safely for him. Then two more 
hands urged me to take back for safe keeping the wages 
they had just received. The faces of the owners of those 
hands were too comic for words: the cheeks shining with 
abundant tears that streamed down, the eyes red and 
swollen, the mouths stretched in nervous strain from ear 
to ear. Behind came two more men, looking as mournful 
as if they were being led to execution. 
They all begged to be re-employed. I let them follow, 
on foot, for several kilometres without saying a word, 
struggling through the heavy marching painfully and 
857 
