. They mutinied at once and took to
their rifles, saying that they would not follow a lunatic any farther, a
man who asked them to take a canoe over a hill.

"Do you not know," said one of them to me, with a fierce grin of contempt
upon his face, "that canoes are made for the water and not to travel over
mountains?"

"Do you not know," shouted Alcides, shaking his fist, "that it would take
a hundred strong men to lift that canoe one inch above the water?--and
we, including you, are only seven men, tired and worn.... You believe
that because you are English you can do what you like. You will next ask
the moon to come and row in our canoe so that we may get along! You have
gone insane."

"Yes, he is mad!" they all said in a chorus. "We want the balance of our
pay and we will leave you at once. Give us our money and we will go--we
want to go."

I told them that they could have their money as soon as the canoe had
gone over the hill and down the other side, and certainly not before.
They could shoot me if they liked, but that would not help them very
much, as I knew the way to get on and they did not. If they shot me they
would perhaps die of starvation themselves soon. I agreed that it was a
beautiful spot to die in, and perhaps they could hasten their departure
by jumping into the fall, and thus end all the hardships, and, at least,
arguments.

After those words, which I had spoken with gentleness, I turned, and--for
the first time since they had been with me--in a stern tone of voice I
ordered Filippe and Antonio to take their big knives and proceed to cut
down ten or twelve of the straightest trees they could find. They
refused. I quietly walked to the rifle which I generally used for
shooting game, and inserted in it a clip of five cartridges. I cocked the
rifle, and, placing my watch before me on a stone, gave the men five
minutes to decide whether they would cut the trees or be shot. I also
said that if any of them moved their rifles they would have a bullet put
through them.

Filippe and Antonio dropped their rifles on the ground, reluctantly took
the knives and walked away, I pointing out to them the tall trees which I
wanted cut. I then ordered Alcides to take one of the axes and cut thirty
rollers, each about 5 ft. long. The men were silent and yellow-faced with
rage.

The trees in that region were easily cut down. After a few minutes down
came a tree with a crash, and shortly after another. I walked to