his gun in defiance on the ground, and led the mutiny.
“ Not a man shall go with you!—go where you like
“ with Ibrahim, but we won’t follow you, ‘ nor move a
“ step farther. The men shall not load the camels;
“ you may employ the * niggers’ to do it, but not us.”
I looked at this mutinous rascal for a moment ;
this was the burst of the conspiracy, and the threats
and insolence that I had been forced to pass over
for the sake of the expedition all rushed before me.
“ Lay down your gun!” I thundered, “ and load
the camels!” ....................“ I won’t ”—was his reply;
“ Then stop here!” I answered; at the same time lashing
out as quick as lightning with my right hand upon
his jaw.
He rolled over in a heap, his gun flying some yards
from his hand; and the late ringleader lay apparently
insensible among the luggage, while several of
his friends ran to him, and did the good Samaritan.
Following up on the moment the advantage I had
gained by establishing a panic, I seized my rifle and
rushed into the midst of the wavering men, catching
first one by the throat, and then another, and dragging
them to the camels, which I insisted upon their immediately
loading. .All except three, who attended to the
ruined ringleader, mechanically obeyed. Richarn and
Sali both shouted to them to “ h u r r y a n d the vakeel
arriving at this moment and seeing how matters stood,
himself assisted, and urged the men to obey.
Ibrahim’s party had started. The animals were soon
loaded, and leaving the vakeel to take them in charge,
we cantered on to overtake Ibrahim, having crushed
the mutiny, and given such an example, that in the
event of future conspiracies my men would find it
difficult to obtain a ringleader. So ended the famous!
conspiracy that had been reported to me by both Saab
and Richarn before we left Gondokoro and so much
for the threat of “ firing simultaneously at me and
deserting my wife in the jungle.” In those savage
countries success frequently depends upon one particular
moment; you may lose or win according to
your action at that critical instant. We congratulated
ourselves upon the termination of this affair, which I
trusted would be the last of the mutinies.
; The country was now lovely ; we were at the base.
of the mountain “ Lafeet,” which rose abruptly on our
left to the height of about 3,000 feet, the highest peak
of the eastern chain that formed the broad valley of
Latooka. The course of the valley was from S.E. ta
N.W.; about forty miles long by eighteen miles wide ;
the flat bottom was diversified by woods, thick jungles,
open plains, and the ever-present hegleek trees, which in
some places gave the appearance of forest. The south