en the spirals of mist rose and broke and vanished like the steam clouds
from locomotive chimneys.

He crossed the courtyard to the go-down, undid the locking bar and found
what he wanted. Half a dozen mattocks stood by the rubber bales--he had
noticed them when the stores had been taken out for the expedition; they
were still in the same place and, taking two of them, he went to the break
in the wall that gave exit from the courtyard and called to the soldiers,
who were busy at work rebuilding their huts.

They came running. He could not speak twenty words of their language, but
he made them line up with a movement of his arm.

Then he addressed them in a perfectly unprintable speech. It was delivered
in unshod American--a language he had not spoken for years. It took in
each individual of the whole gang, it told them they were dogs and sons of
dogs, killers of men, unmentionable carrion, cayotes, kites, and that he
would have hanged them each and individually with his own hands (and I
believe by some legerdemain of strength he would), but that they were
without hearts, souls or intellect, not responsible creatures, tools of
villains that he, Adams, would expose and get even with yet.

Furthermore, that if by a look or movement they disobeyed his orders, he
would make them sweat tears and weep blood, so help him God. Amen.

They understood what he said. At least they understood the gist of it.
They had found a new and angry master, and not an eye was raised when
Adams stood silent; some looked at their toes and some at the ground, some
looked this way, some that, but none at the big, ferocious man, with three
weeks' growth of beard, standing before them and, literally, over them.

Then he chose two of them and motioned them to follow to the guest house.
There he brought them into the sleeping room and pointed to the body of
Meeus, motioning them to take it up and carry it out. The men rolled their
eyes at the sight of the _Chef de Poste_, but they said no word; one took
the head, the other the feet, and between them they carried the burden,
led by their new commander, through the dwelling room, across the veranda
and then across the yard.

The rest of the soldiers were in a group near the gate. When they saw the
two men and their burden, they set up a chattering like a flock of
magpies, which, however, instantly ceased at the approach of Adams.

He pointed to the two mattocks which he had placed against the wall.