you have seen it . the big white hat , the white swallow-tailed coat with the shiny braid , the ridiculous cravat - in action he looks like a southern planter at a picnic . his stock of bottles was all set up on the wagon . he had n&apos;t yet begun to sell them . he had to inveigle his audience first &amp;hellip; . how I wish I had been there . these forests of the Congo could have seen nothing like it . the bland , self-assured voice enveloping his spectators in a cocoon of honey : commercialism seemed to be the last thing he had in mind . he &apos;d started his show . he had to seek the lowest common denominator of the audience . he was doing card tricks . tossing out the aces , then picking them out of mid-air . it might have gone down well up near Lake Chad , where there is an Arabic influence - on these denser sons of Ham it had no effect at all . he went swiftly on to cigarette tricks . that was better . the audience hummed . Father Felix told me : how he did it , I do not know . he puffed at a handful of lighted cigarettes , threw them all into the river and then retrieved them one by one from behind the ears of the crowd . they rubbed their heads confusedly to see where they came from . how does he do it ? why did n&apos;t you watch ? I did . he drew a lighted cigar from out of my cassock . how embarrassed I was . it would have been interesting to see him try it on Agnes . I spoke prematurely : he had something more dramatic for her in mind . and all the time that facile enchanting patter &amp;hellip; it was a kind of enchantment , was n&apos;t it ? it was impossible both to listen to him and watch him closely , said Agnes . in the end we did n&apos;t really hear what he was saying , nor see exactly what he was doing with his hands . which suggests a very expert patter . there is the moment when the mass tension of an audience has suddenly to be heightened - the magician , like his brother the demagogue , must know when to turn the screw . Agnes said : of course , he was n&apos;t paying me any particular attention . but he was aware of me in the crowd . I had no wish to be drawn into his mumbo-jumbo &amp;hellip; . Agnes , can we forget the personal aspect for a moment ? what did he do ? he produced a white chicken from his props . he held it up . it fluttered and squawked . he said to it : go , little bird , and flung a cloth over it . when he whisked it away the chicken was gone . he began to call out , little bird , where are you ? and came down from his wagon as if searching for it in the crowd . he stopped by me - I had n&apos;t the faintest idea of his intention - he slapped suddenly at my skirt , and I swear to you I felt with horror the flapping feathers between my legs . the chicken escaped from under me and I heard everybody hissing with shock . it was n&apos;t enough . he had to embarrass me further - he picked up an egg as if it had been freshly laid . I &apos;ve seen that trick performed in the Bobino in Paris &amp;hellip; . the natives have never been to Paris . the effect on them was staggering . Father Felix said disturbedly : one must n&apos;t take liberties with people who are so susceptible to magic , what makes us laugh - these music-hall illusions - can literally petrify them . did it matter ? the chief and his wives , his sons Shadrach and Meshach , had approached the fringe of the crowd . Joe Moses opened up a large coloured box to show that it was empty . he called out : what shall we have for supper ? sucking pig ? and persuaded one of the women to throw a cheap bangle into the box . more incantations . he tossed the box over the heads of the crowd . it burst open as it landed and a young pig squealed and ran out into the forest . I have n&apos;t seen that one in the Bobino . then swiftly the pi&amp;egrave;ce-de-r&amp;eacute;sistance - after all , he had to get down to the business of unloading his bottles . he must have prepared one of the boys : the young black imp popped gigglingly into a crate . that one I have seen . a few mock pistol-shots into it . a sabre slammed fearsomely through it in all directions . the natives suddenly expectant of tragedy - but the crate opened and the young imp of mischief came waddling out . Agnes said with sudden pleasure : but he &apos;d been too smart . he &apos;d undone himself . when he started his sales talk &amp;hellip; and she began to mimic him ironically : my friends , I have here the age-old remedies of the famous Shoshone Indians , the essences that made them strong and virile &amp;hellip; nobody in the crowd would even glance at his bottles . it was as if he &apos;d bewitched them . they were frozen into inertia . he went about trying to interest them in his Shoshone cure-alls , but he might have been addressing black statuary - it was quite uncanny , his face fell . when he &apos;d gone the rounds he had n&apos;t sold a single bottle . hoist with his own petard , I said . I did n&apos;t like it , said Father Felix . there was something about the tribe that troubled me . Joe Moses , too . sales resistance troubles every business man . what did he do with his bottles ? emptied them into the river . he was very angry . perhaps the fishes &apos;ll grow as strong and virile as the Shoshone Indians . still , it must have been a wonderful show . he made a wonderful fool of himself , Agnes said . it was fate , in fact , that was making fools of all of us . I said before that the stage had been set - it awaited the last theatrical prop . the curtain was now ready to go up . it only needed my personal attendance . I arrived with thirty soldiers and a display of armaments in three flat-bottomed river transports the following afternoon . chapter four . these were n&apos;t the Kano gendarmerie . they were soldiers . nothing as alarming as Caesar &apos;s centurions - even with Springfield carbines it &apos;s difficult for thin black shanks and tarbooshes to strike terror into the heart . but they were the best of our native levies . French N.C.O.s can whip neolithic African bowmen into military shape . it had given the Governor a bad half-hour of heart-burn before he decided to send them . they were equipped with a few light automatic weapons and tear-gas grenades . in command of them was a cold sous-lieutenant , a veteran of the Indo-Chinese war . I think he rather hoped for a small brisk action . he paraded his troops at the fringe of the village . like the schoolmaster &apos;s cane , every civilian administrator has to keep the idea of the military instrument at the back of his mind - but , when he first sees light machine-guns being assembled , his stomach goes cold . the sous-lieutenant was placing them strategically at the end of the street . and a silence fell upon the village . nothing moved : not a child , not a rooster . Father Felix had seen the platoon marching by the mission . he came hurrying out . he cried : but I never dreamt you were serious . it was the nearest thing to rage I &apos;d ever seen in him . Agnes came palely behind . they &apos;ve made it serious for me , have n&apos;t they ? did you think I warned them so strongly just to exercise my voice ? Louis , you can not know what you are doing &amp;hellip; . I &apos;m doing my duty as I see it . it &apos;s that perverse chief . he has forced my hand . it is utterly unforgivable . it &apos;s easy for you to talk . he was making me feel both stubborn and guilty . if anything goes wrong , there &apos;s nobody but God to blame you . I have the Governor to contend with . if he jumps on me I &apos;m out of a job . but they have guns . look . he pointed . he could n&apos;t believe his eyes . you must think I like the military sticking its nose in . I said bitterly : we spend our lives running things the quiet way . then the army arrives - a blow , a false word - bang - suddenly there are shots . all right . if that &apos;s the way they want it . but do n&apos;t ask me to clean up the mess . Agnes said : get those soldiers out of sight at once . they have n&apos;t come here to play hide-and-seek . if they come a solitary step nearer &amp;hellip; . nobody wants to precipitate trouble . they &apos;ll stay where they are . Father Felix tugged incoherently at my sleeve - he took a step towards the two light automatic weapons perched in the dust at the end of the street . the sous-lieutenant had an eye for positioning . suddenly one realised exactly what was meant by covering fire . I felt almost as nervous as Father Felix . I dragged him back . are you mad ? these are disciplined soldiers . they are n&apos;t Christians . what ? your cassock would n&apos;t save you . if you interfered with them they would fire . he said impatiently : as if that matters &amp;hellip; . it matters to me . the Governor would assassinate me . I stared beseechingly at Agnes . she said to Father Felix : be still . I have the Governor &apos;s written orders , I said . we &apos;re to move the tribe out of the valley with the minimum of force &amp;hellip; . how small is minimum ? asked Father Felix . he &apos;d begun to sweat . I was n&apos;t answering that one . all inhabitants are to be prepared for transit , all stocks , herds , movable goods . compensation will be paid for unavoidable &amp;hellip; . stop waving that abominable paper in my face . I do n&apos;t object to them going . I only want them to go voluntarily . so do I . I do n&apos;t want them to have to swim . will you show the chief the orders ? I have a tongue . he stalked off . I was in bad odour with him . I watched the sous-lieutenant deploying his soldiers through the trees . Agnes said coolly : you mean well , Louis . thank God for small encouragement . but you &apos;re a foolish busybody , if there are two ways of doing a thing , you &apos;ll always choose the wrong one . that was n&apos;t so encouraging . she went striding briskly towards the chief &apos;s hut . the village had become of a sudden thronged . there were too many men : I strained my eyes , for the dazzle of the sun was painful and perspiration wetted my lashes , to see if they bore weapons . children howled . an old woman advanced a few paces to shake her fist virulently in my face . I brushed her off like a fly . yes , there were shields in the crowd . except for hunting , they had n&apos;t used bows and spears since the mission had been planted in the valley : and now they were banging the stretched hide shields , it sounded like the boom of an approaching herd . the chief in his white coat was talking excitedly with Father Felix &amp;hellip; . &amp;hellip; and sweat , sweat like cold needles , sprang out on me . something nosed like a gun-barrel into the small of my back . I jumped about . that wretched beast , the elephant , breathing inoffensively not a pace behind me . how silently it moved . Joe Moses sat atop of it . I peered up emotionally and said : do not ever do that again . your nerves are in bad shape . yours would be , too . remove that creature from me . it smells . so the marines are here . what ? yes , the soldiers . it &apos;s the only way . when does the battle open ? you &apos;re mad . this does n&apos;t concern you . go away . you do n&apos;t listen , do you ? to you ? who would ? I told you , a man does n&apos;t have to be big , does n&apos;t matter if he has a belly , and again he surveyed me with cold languor , so long as he has the sap in him to command respect . I should have qualified it . he has to have brains in his head , too . remember what I said ? about not shoving a mule to water when ten sweet words will coax it along ? your - what do you call it - cracker-barrel philosophy makes me sick . but better sick than dead . they &apos;re a very obtuse people . there comes a time when one has to show strength . suppose they resist you with strength ? 