ef de Poste_ Meeus of Fort M'Bassa is dead," said De Wiart; "you will
go there and take command. You will start to-morrow."

Van Laer flushed.

"It is a difficult post," said De Wiart, "wild country, and the natives
are the laziest to be found in the whole of the state. The man before
Meeus did much harm; he had no power or control, he was a weak man, and
the people frankly laughed at him. Actually rubber came in here one-third
rubbish, the people were half their time in revolt, they cut the vines in
two districts. I have a report of his saying, 'There is no ivory to be
got. The herds are very scarce, and the people say they cannot make
elephants.' Fancy writing nigger talk like that in a report. I replied in
the same tone. I said, 'Tell the people they must make them: and make them
in a hurry. Tell them that they need not trouble to make whole elephants,
just the tusks will do--eighty-pound tusks, a hundred-pound if possible.'
But sarcasm was quite thrown away on him. He listened to the natives. Once
a man does that he is lost, for they lose all respect for him. They are
just like children, these people; once let children get in the habit of
making excuses and you lose control.

"Meeus was a stronger man, but he left much to be desired. He had too much
whalebone in his composition, not enough steel, but he was improving.

"You will find yourself at first in a difficult position. It always is so
when a _Chef de Poste_ dies suddenly and even a few days elapse before he
is replaced. The people get out of hand, thinking the white man is gone
for ever. However, you will find yourself all right in a week or so, if
you are firm."

"Thank you," said Van Laer. "I have no doubt at all that I will be able to
bring these people into line. I do not boast. I only ask you to keep your
eye on the returns."

Next day Van Laer, escorted by the soldiers, left M'Bina to take up the
station at Fort M'Bassa left vacant by the death of _Chef de Poste_
Andreas Meeus.

Three days later at noon De Wiart, drawn from his house by shouts from the
sentinels on duty saw, coming toward him in the blazing sunshine, a great
man who stumbled and seemed half-blinded by the sunlight, and who was
bearing in his arms another man who seemed dead.

Both were filthy, ragged, torn and bleeding. The man erect had, tied to
his waistbelt by a piece of liana, a skull.

Fit emblem of the forest he had passed through and the land that lay
behind it.