If I catch them Greeks in any o' that country, I'm going to kid myself deliberate that it's British East, and act accordin'!" At last we convinced him, although I don't remember how, for he was obstinate from the aftermath of whisky, that we would no more permit him to go alone than he would consider abandoning his cattle.

Then we had to decide who should follow with our string of porters, for if forced marching was in order it was obvious that we should far outdistance our train.
We invited Brown to follow with all the men while we three skirmished ahead, but he waxed so apoplectically blasphemous at the very thought of it that Fred assured him the proposal was intended for a joke.

Then we argued among ourselves, coaxed, blarneyed, persuaded, and tried to bribe one another.

Finally, all else failing, we tossed a coin for it, odd man out, and Fred lost.
So Brown, Will Yerkes and I, with Kazimoto, our two personal servants, and six boys to carry one tent for the lot of us and food and cooking pots, started off just as the moon rose over the nearest cedars, and laughed at Fred marshaling the sleepy porters by lamplight in the open space between the house and barn.

He was to follow as fast as the loaded porters could be made to travel, and with that concertina of his to spur them on there was little likelihood of losing touch.