You have seen it .sx 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 .sx His stock of bottles was all set up on the wagon .sx He hadn't yet begun to sell them .sx He had to inveigle his audience first .sx .' How I wish I had been there .sx These forests of the Congo could have seen nothing like it .sx The bland , self-assured voice enveloping his spectators in a cocoon of honey :sx commercialism seemed to be the last thing he had in mind .sx He'd started his show .sx He had to seek the lowest common denominator of the audience .sx He was doing card tricks .sx Tossing out the aces , then picking them out of mid-air .sx 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 .sx He went swiftly on to cigarette tricks .sx That was better .sx The audience hummed .sx Father Felix told me :sx 'How he did it , I do not know .sx 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 .sx They rubbed their heads confusedly to see where they came from .sx How does he do it ?sx ' 'Why didn't you watch ?sx ' 'I did .sx He drew a lighted cigar from out of my cassock .sx How embarrassed I was .sx ' 'It would have been interesting to see him try it on Agnes .sx ' I spoke prematurely :sx he had something more dramatic for her in mind .sx And all the time that facile enchanting patter .sx . it was a kind of enchantment , wasn't it ?sx 'It was impossible both to listen to him and watch him closely,' said Agnes .sx 'In the end we didn't really hear what he was saying , nor see exactly what he was doing with his hands .sx ' Which suggests a very expert patter .sx 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 .sx Agnes said :sx 'Of course , he wasn't paying me any particular attention .sx But he was aware of me in the crowd .sx I had no wish to be drawn into his mumbo-jumbo .sx .' 'Agnes , can we forget the personal aspect for a moment ?sx What did he do ?sx ' 'He produced a white chicken from his props .sx He held it up .sx It fluttered and squawked .sx He said to it :sx " Go , little bird , " and flung a cloth over it .sx When he whisked it away the chicken was gone .sx He began to call out , " Little bird , where are you ?sx " and came down from his wagon as if searching for it in the crowd .sx He stopped by me- I hadn'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 .sx The chicken escaped from under me and I heard everybody hissing with shock .sx It wasn't enough .sx He had to embarrass me further- he picked up an egg as if it had been freshly laid .sx ' 'I've seen that trick performed in the Bobino in Paris .sx .' 'The natives have never been to Paris .sx The effect on them was staggering .sx ' Father Felix said disturbedly :sx 'One mustn't take liberties with people who are so susceptible to magic , ~What makes us laugh- these music-hall illusions- can literally petrify them .sx ' Did it matter ?sx The chief and his wives , his sons Shadrach and Meshach , had approached the fringe of the crowd .sx Joe Moses opened up a large coloured box to show that it was empty .sx He called out :sx " What shall we have for supper ?sx ~Sucking pig ?sx " and persuaded one of the women to throw a cheap bangle into the box .sx More incantations .sx He tossed the box over the heads of the crowd .sx It burst open as it landed and a young pig squealed and ran out into the forest .sx ' I haven't seen that one in the Bobino .sx Then swiftly the 6pie@3ce-de-re@2sistance- after all , he had to get down to the business of unloading his bottles .sx He must have prepared one of the boys :sx the young black imp popped gigglingly into a crate .sx That one I have seen .sx A few mock pistol-shots into it .sx A sabre slammed fearsomely through it in all directions .sx The natives suddenly expectant of tragedy- but the crate opened and the young imp of mischief came waddling out .sx Agnes said with sudden pleasure :sx 'But he'd been too smart .sx He'd undone himself .sx When he started his sales talk .sx .' and she began to mimic him ironically :sx " My friends , I have here the age-old remedies of the famous Shoshone Indians , the essences that made them strong and virile .sx . " nobody in the crowd would even glance at his bottles .sx It was as if he'd bewitched them .sx They were frozen into inertia .sx 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 .sx When he'd gone the rounds he hadn't sold a single bottle .sx ' 'Hoist with his own petard,' I said .sx 'I didn't like it,' said Father Felix .sx 'There was something about the tribe that troubled me .sx ' 'Joe Moses , too .sx Sales resistance troubles every business man .sx What did he do with his bottles ?sx ' 'Emptied them into the river .sx He was very angry .sx ' 'Perhaps the fishes'll grow as strong and virile as the Shoshone Indians .sx Still , it must have been a wonderful show .sx ' 'He made a wonderful fool of himself,' Agnes said .sx It was fate , in fact , that was making fools of all of us .sx I said before that the stage had been set- it awaited the last theatrical prop .sx The curtain was now ready to go up .sx It only needed my personal attendance .sx I arrived with thirty soldiers and a display of armaments in three flat-bottomed river transports the following afternoon .sx Chapter Four .sx These weren't the Kano gendarmerie .sx They were soldiers .sx Nothing as alarming as Caesar's centurions- even with Springfield carbines it's difficult for thin black shanks and tarbooshes to strike terror into the heart .sx But they were the best of our native levies .sx French N.C.O.s can whip neolithic African bowmen into military shape .sx It had given the Governor a bad half-hour of heart-burn before he decided to send them .sx They were equipped with a few light automatic weapons and tear-gas grenades .sx In command of them was a cold sous-lieutenant , a veteran of the Indo-Chinese war .sx I think he rather hoped for a small brisk action .sx He paraded his troops at the fringe of the village .sx Like the schoolmaster'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 .sx The sous-lieutenant was placing them strategically at the end of the street .sx And a silence fell upon the village .sx Nothing moved :sx not a child , not a rooster .sx Father Felix had seen the platoon marching by the mission .sx He came hurrying out .sx He cried :sx 'But I never dreamt you were serious .sx ' It was the nearest thing to rage I'd ever seen in him .sx Agnes came palely behind .sx 'They've made it serious for me , haven't they ?sx Did you think I warned them so strongly just to exercise my voice ?sx ' 'Louis , you cannot know what you are doing .sx .' 'I'm doing my duty as I see it .sx It's that perverse chief .sx He has forced my hand .sx ' 'It is utterly unforgivable .sx ' 'It's easy for you to talk .sx ' He was making me feel both stubborn and guilty .sx 'If anything goes wrong , there's nobody but God to blame you .sx I have the Governor to contend with .sx If he jumps on me I'm out of a job .sx ' 'But they have guns .sx Look .sx ' He pointed .sx He couldn't believe his eyes .sx 'You must think I like the military sticking its nose in .sx ' I said bitterly :sx 'We spend our lives running things the quiet way .sx Then the army arrives- a blow , a false word- bang- suddenly there are shots .sx All right .sx If that's the way they want it .sx But don't ask me to clean up the mess .sx ' Agnes said :sx 'Get those soldiers out of sight at once .sx ' 'They haven't come here to play hide-and-seek .sx ' 'If they come a solitary step nearer .sx .' 'Nobody wants to precipitate trouble .sx They'll stay where they are .sx ' 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 .sx The sous-lieutenant had an eye for positioning .sx Suddenly one realised exactly what was meant by 'covering fire' .sx I felt almost as nervous as Father Felix .sx I dragged him back .sx 'Are you mad ?sx These are disciplined soldiers .sx They aren't Christians .sx ' 'What ?sx ' 'Your cassock wouldn't save you .sx If you interfered with them they would fire .sx ' He said impatiently :sx 'As if that matters .sx .' 'It matters to me .sx The Governor would assassinate me .sx ' I stared beseechingly at Agnes .sx She said to Father Felix :sx 'Be still .sx ' 'I have the Governor's written orders,' I said .sx 'We're to move the tribe out of the valley with the minimum of force .sx .' 'How small is minimum ?sx ' asked Father Felix .sx He'd begun to sweat .sx I wasn't answering that one .sx 'All inhabitants are to be prepared for transit , all stocks , herds , movable goods .sx Compensation will be paid for unavoidable .sx .' 'Stop waving that abominable paper in my face .sx I don't object to them going .sx I only want them to go voluntarily .sx ' 'So do I. I don't want them to have to swim .sx Will you show the chief the orders ?sx ' 'I have a tongue .sx ' He stalked off .sx I was in bad odour with him .sx I watched the sous-lieutenant deploying his soldiers through the trees .sx Agnes said coolly :sx 'You mean well , Louis .sx ' Thank God for small encouragement .sx 'But you're a foolish busybody , if there are two ways of doing a thing , you'll always choose the wrong one .sx ' That wasn't so encouraging .sx She went striding briskly towards the chief's hut .sx The village had become of a sudden thronged .sx There were too many men :sx I strained my eyes , for the dazzle of the sun was painful and perspiration wetted my lashes , to see if they bore weapons .sx Children howled .sx An old woman advanced a few paces to shake her fist virulently in my face .sx I brushed her off like a fly .sx Yes , there were shields in the crowd .sx Except for hunting , they hadn't used bows and spears since the mission had been planted in the valley :sx and now they were banging the stretched hide shields , it sounded like the boom of an approaching herd .sx The chief in his white coat was talking excitedly with Father Felix .sx . .sx .and sweat , sweat like cold needles , sprang out on me .sx Something nosed like a gun-barrel into the small of my back .sx I jumped about .sx That wretched beast , the elephant , breathing inoffensively not a pace behind me .sx How silently it moved .sx Joe Moses sat atop of it .sx I peered up emotionally and said :sx 'Do not ever do that again .sx ' 'Your nerves are in bad shape .sx ' 'Yours would be , too .sx Remove that creature from me .sx It smells .sx ' 'So the marines are here .sx ' 'What ?sx Yes , the soldiers .sx It's the only way .sx ' 'When does the battle open ?sx ' 'You're mad .sx This doesn't concern you .sx Go away .sx ' 'You don't listen , do you ?sx ' 'To you ?sx Who would ?sx ' 'I told you , a man doesn't have to be big , doesn'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 .sx I should have qualified it .sx He has to have brains in his head , too .sx Remember what I said ?sx About not shoving a mule to water when ten sweet words will coax it along ?sx ' 'Your- what do you call it- cracker-barrel philosophy makes me sick .sx ' 'But better sick than dead .sx ' 'They're a very obtuse people .sx There comes a time when one has to show strength .sx ' 'Suppose they resist you with strength ?sx '