meanwhile, the landing party set themselves to eat what they fancied and
to carry off any store of ivory and rubber that they might chance upon.
There was nothing remarkable in the manoeuvre. It is the authorized
course of proceedings when a Free State launch goes into the bank for
wood and supplies.

The villagers brought down the logs smartly enough, and waxed quite
friendly on finding that none of the hostage women and children had been
killed or maltreated during their absence. They duly gave up the German
axes which had been loaned to them, and carried the wood aboard. Kettle
arranged its disposition. He had solid defences built up all round the
vulnerable boiler and engines. He had a stout breastwork built all round
inside the rail of the lower deck, quite stout enough to absorb a bullet
even if fired at point-blank range. And he had another breastwork built
on the third deck, above the cabins, so that he turned the flimsy little
steamer into a very staunch, if somewhat ungainly, floating fort.

He got on board the rubber and ivory he had collected, and had it
struck down below--the dividends of the State have to be remembered
first, even at moments of trouble like these--and then he gave orders,
and the vessel set off again up stream. On the lower deck he stayed
himself during the journey back, and gave instructions to Commander
Balliot in the art of engine-driving.

Balliot was sullen at first, and showed little inclination to acquire so
warm and grimy a craft, and fenced himself behind his dignity. But
Kettle put forth his persuasive powers; he did not hit the man, he
merely talked; and under the merciless lash of that vinegary little
tongue, Balliot repented him of his stubbornness, and set himself to
acquire the elementary knack of engine nursing and feeding and driving.