"Look here, my lad, I believe this fellow is to be trusted, but one's
caution and discipline will whisper that we ought to be careful, and it
will not do for us to come back and find that our boats are burned."
"No, sir," replied the lad quickly. "Whom will you leave in charge of
them?"
"I should like to leave May, but I want him with us. What do you say,
Mr Roberts? It is an important charge."
"Yes, sir," faltered the midshipman, "but--"
"You want to go with us, eh? Well, it is only natural. Murray too, I
suppose, feels the same. But you must take into consideration that this
may be a very dangerous expedition we are going upon."
"Do you think so, sir?"
"I do, Murray, and I cannot help hesitating now and then--from
ignorance, of course, for though our guide seems to be trustworthy, we
know absolutely nothing of what his feelings may be towards us. Well, I
shall leave six men in charge of the two boats, with Titely at their
head and instructions to keep well off shore."
These arrangements were quickly made while the black stood looking on
impatiently; and then Murray heard him utter a sigh of relief, for Mr
Anderson told him to lead on.
The man sprang to the front at once, and was closely followed by the
blacks who formed the crew of the planter's boat.
"Massa keep close to Caesar," said their guide, "and tell men not to
talk and make noise. Soon get not dark."
For the time being the darkness seemed to be impenetrable, but somehow
the black leader was quite able to thread his way along an invisible
track, which however soon grew easier, for the glow in the distance
increased till the tops of the forest trees began to stand out clearly
against the ruddy light.
Murray had received whispered instructions from his officer, whose
caution seemed to increase as they went on, and those instructions
turned the midshipman into the head of a rear-guard made up of himself,
Tom May and two men, with instructions to report upon anything that
seemed to be suspicious.
It was not long before the lad began to follow out his instructions by
leaving the big sailor for a few minutes and hurrying forward to join
the lieutenant.
"That you, Mr Murray?" he said. "You've come to say that the fire is
increasing, and that there is another one away to the left?"
"No, sir; I saw that," replied the middy.
"Then why have you left your men?"
"To tell you, sir, that we are being followed very closely by a body of
blacks who are hemming us in."
"Hang it! You don't mean that!"
"I do, sir. Twice over we have seemed to pass through men who are
hanging back on either side to let us pass, and who then close in behind
us and follow up silently."
"Humph! Unarmed, I suppose?"
"No, sir; I have not had much opportunity, but I am pretty well sure
that, some of them have muskets, while all have those clumsy hangers
with which they clear away the canes and growth from the forest paths."
"Well, we are in for it now, Mr Murray. But look here, they are not
many, I suppose?"
"They are, sir, and keep on increasing in numbers."
"But they seem peaceable?"
"Yes, sir, quite; but I can't help feeling suspicious."
"Yes, it is suspicious, but they may not mean harm. I believe in that
black Caesar all the same. If I did not I should give the order to
retreat at once. There, go back to your men, and keep close up. Take
special care not to let the blacks get between you and us."
"There is no need, sir. They hang back to let us all pass."
"That may be part of their plan to shut us in. But I will go on
believing in the fellow till I have good cause to turn upon him, and
then it will be very hard if our lads can't keep any number at bay.
There, stand fast till your men overtake you."
Murray halted and let the men march by till Tom May and his messmates
joined him; and then as he resumed his place he became aware that the
blacks in their rear had increased greatly in number. Short as had been
his absence, it was now much lighter, so that it was plain to see that
they were being followed by a dense mass of white-cotton-clothed
plantation slaves, all bearing arms of some kind or another, and moving
in comparative silence, their bare feet making hardly a sound upon the
soft earth.
"They seem to be increasing fast, Tom," whispered Murray, as the sailors
tramped steadily on.
"Yes, sir; tidy--tidy," replied the big fellow.
"But they don't seem to mean mischief, Tom."
"No, sir, not yet; but if that was their game they could eat our little
lot without salt."
"You don't seem to be a bit alarmed, Tom."
"No, sir; no, sir, only a bit bothered."
"What about--the darkness?"
"Nay, sir; that's getting easier. It's twice as light as it was. I
meant about what game's up. We seem to be going on some expedition or
another, and I've been trying to settle it down in my mind. Don't think
it's a coon hunt, do you, sir?"
"No, Tom; they are all too grave and serious for that."
"Yes, sir, but that might be 'cause they don't want to scare the game."
"No; this is no hunt, Tom."
"P'raps not, sir, and I only fancied that's what it might be. No, sir,
I don't feel much worried about it--oneasy, you may say. Do you, sir?"
"Well, to be honest, Tom, I don't like to be shut up like this among
these blacks. Why, they're growing thicker and thicker!"
"That's so, sir. They're hundreds upon hundreds strong. What does the
chief officer think of it?"
"He doesn't say, Tom, but I could see that he felt the need of caution
by the order he gave me about keeping close together."
"Oh, he did that, sir, did he? But I say, I wonder what the skipper
would say about our being in such a hole."
Murray looked sharply round at the speaker, who to his surprise began to
chuckle softly.
"I don't see anything to laugh at, Tom May," said the middy sharply.
"No sir," replied the man; "I s'pose not. There aren't really nothing."
"Then why do you laugh?"
"Couldn't help it, sir. Only you see it does seem such cheek on our
part, just a boat and a half's crew and our orficer marching right in
here no one knows where, only as it's forest and just as cool as you
please, and all these here niggers--reg'lar black thunderstorm of 'em--
shutting us in, and all as quiet as mice. We're not a bit frightened of
'em, but I'll be bound to say as they're scared of us. It do make me
laugh, it do; but I s'pose it's because we've got what they arn't, sir--
discipline, you see."
"I think it takes something more than discipline, Tom," said the
midshipman. "Our men's pluck has something to do with it."
"Well, sir, I s'pose it has," replied the man. "But look here, how
they're standing on each side for us to pass through. Talk about
hundreds, why if it goes on like this there'll be thousands soon."
For the rich red glowing light became stronger and stronger, until at
the end of half-an-hour the trees grew more open and the party could
make out flame and smoke arising, while the silence of the marching men
was at times broken by the crackle of burning wood.
"Well, sir," exclaimed the big sailor, "I can't say as I can make it out
yet what game this is going to be, but anyhow we're in for it whatever
it is. I say, Mr Murray, sir, these here black African niggers arn't
cannibals, are they?"
"Some of them, Tom, I believe."
"Then that's it, sir; they're all gathering up together for a great
feed. Over yonder's a big opening like with the fire in the middle of
it, and we're in for it now, and no mistake!"
"Oh, nonsense, Tom!"
"Is it, sir? Well, I never see such a turn out o' nonsense before.
It's going to be a feast they're set upon, and it don't seem to me as
we're going to have a bit o' room if the first luff makes up his mind to
fight. All I can say is that cook me how they please, I'm sorry for the
poor beggar of a black who's got to stick his teeth into me. Talk about
a tough un, Mr Murray, sir, I'm one," chuckled the big fellow.
"They're gathered together for a big feast, as I said afore, and it's no
use to show fight, for there arn't room. They'll squeeze us all up
pretty tight before the cooking begins, and that may make a bit o'
difference in the way of being tender, but I shall give some of them the
toothache for certain, and I don't think after the feed's over many of
'em'll want to try British tar again. British tar!" repeated the man
jocosely. "Wonder whether I shall taste o' best Stockholm tar. I've
got pretty well soaked in it in my time."
"Hush, Tom! Here's Mr Anderson waiting for us to join him."
For it had proved to be as the sailor had said. They had been marched
into a wide amphitheatre of trees, in the midst of which a tremendous
fire was burning brightly, and by its light the English party could make
out the long serpentine line of men who were marching into the
amphitheatre, which was lined with hundreds upon hundreds of blacks,
whose eyes glowed in the firelight, while whenever lips were parted
there was the glistening of the brilliantly white teeth.
It was a strangely impressive sight, as the lieutenant said when Murray
joined him.
"I don't know even now," he added, "what it signifies. They don't mean
harm to us, my lad; but if they did we should have small chance of
resistance. It seems to me that they have gathered for some special
reason. It is a sort of feast, I suppose."
Murray caught sight of Tom May's eyes fixed upon him, and he closed one
eye very slowly and solemnly as he frowned at the midshipman, as much as
to say, "There, sir, I told you so!"
"What is your opinion of it, Mr Murray?"
"It looks to me, sir, like a rising of the blacks, for they are all
armed."
"Well," said the lieutenant, "they are not rising against us. If they
were they would not be so civil. Besides, they have nothing against us
to rise about. They can't rebel against those who have come to give
them their freedom. Let's go and see what is going on there."
Just then their black guide came forward and stood before them,
evidently for the purpose of stopping their progress, for the lieutenant
had begun to cross the middle of the wide opening in the woods to where
something important was apparently taking place.
"Well, Caesar," said the lieutenant, "what is going on there?"
The black shook his head and looked anxiously from one officer to the
other.
"Massa not go dah," whispered the man. "Massa just look, see, and
listen to what Obeah man say."
"Obeah man?"
"Yes, massa. Obeah man. Snake fetish. Big snake in great box dah.
Priest Obeah man take snake out o' box soon. Not good for massa."
"Oh, that's it, is it?" said the lieutenant. "Do you know anything
about all this, Murray?"
"No," replied the lad, "only that I have heard something of serpent
worship which the blacks have carried with them to Barbadoes and
Jamaica, sir."
"Say Hayti too, my lad."
"No, sir," said Murray, smiling, his face looking bright in the warm
glow spread by the tremendous fire now burning. "I can't say any more,
for I have heard so little about these people and their religion."
"I expect you know as much as I do, Murray, my lad. This is Obeah,
isn't it? Serpent worship, Caesar?"
"Yes, massa. Not good for Bri'sh officer and brave sailor. Snake in
big box. Priest show um to people. Obeah. Berry dreadful, sah."
"Very dreadful nonsense, Murray," said the lieutenant to his companion,
in a low tone. Then speaking aloud: "And what is it all for?"
The black shook his head.
"Caesar can't tell, massa. Priest show big snake Caesar people. Make
all see fire and fight."
"Aha! Fight, eh?" said the lieutenant, after a glance at Murray.
"Yes, massa; make people fight--kill."
"Fight and kill us?" said Mr Anderson.
The man showed his white teeth and shook his head.
"No, massa; Caesar people no fight Bri'sh captain, Bri'sh officer. All
come do poor black fellow good. Massa want know why not go fesh Massa
Allen. Not good time. Caesar people all come to snake fetish. Obeah
priest call people to come not know who Massa Huggin friend, who Massa
Allen friend. Caesar bring Bri'sh officer, Bri'sh sailor, see Obeah
night. See Obeah priest show big snake. Snake fetish. Caesar go now."
The black turned away and walked quickly to where several
strange-looking negroes--probably Obeah men--had now begun to walk in
procession around the blazing fire, in front of which a long
coffin-shaped box had been placed, and behind which a black, who must
have attained to some consequence among his superstitious brethren on
account of his gigantic height, stood now in the ruddy glow tossing his
arms on high, gesticulating and uttering a weird strange chant, until
the English party saw that their guide had approached quite close to the
huge giant, and was evidently talking to him eagerly and with a great
show of respect.
"Well, we know where we are now, Murray," said the lieutenant. "Our
guide has brought us here to see the mummery of their barbarous
religion, and there is no doubt that the people have met to be stirred
up to some rising against the planters who own them as slaves."
"You think so, sir?" asked Murray.
"Yes, I feel sure of it, my lad. But look here, Murray; the people are
quite friendly towards us, so help me in making our lads behave
themselves. I mean, there must be no ribald laughing at the poor
wretches. That is not the way to appeal to their better feelings. Look
at that! Poor benighted creatures. These slave-owners must keep them
in a darkness as black as their skins."
For as the party from the _Seafowl_ stood looking on, the strange chant
rose and fell, while the huge black, who seemed to be the priest and
leader, marshalled the people into a procession which he led round the
fire, the blacks gesticulating, raising their arms in the air, and then
bowing themselves down as they marched in a slow and solemn tramp about
the blazing embers. Stamp, stamp, stamp; the vibration of the earth and
the movement of the concourse of the excited people raised a current of
air which fanned the flames and sent the sparks flying upwards eddying
into the black night, while flakes of fire that were now and then
dazzling in the brilliancy of their colour flashed and fluttered as they
rose on high.
There was no need for the lieutenant's words to his young officer, for,
far from giving vent to mocking laughter, the sailors stood together
looking on with wonder and something like awe at the intensity of
feeling displayed by the people, who as they marched slowly onward in
the weird procession, kept on pausing with wonderful unanimity to stamp
and utter a wild and stirring moan as if of despair. Then they tossed
their hands on high in obedience to the movements of their leader, who
seemed to tower up above them, and whose black skin, which had most
probably been heavily anointed with palm oil, glistened in the firelight
until when every now and then he stopped short and stood motionless, he
looked like some great image cast in ruddy bronze.
Onward and onward tramped and stamped the great procession; the strange
thrilling chant rose and fell, now uttered as a wild shrieking yell, and
then descending gradually until the sailors were listening to a wail of
despair, as if the wretched people were appealing for pity in their
terrible position and asking for help to relieve them from their piteous
bondage.
"And I was afraid my lads would laugh, Murray," whispered the lieutenant
huskily. "Why, my lad, there's something so terrible, so horrible,
about it all that one seems to want no explanation. It tells its own
tale of the poor wretches' sufferings."
"Yes, sir," whispered back the middy, "and I'm glad to hear you say
that."
"Glad, boy!" cried the lieutenant, in an angry whisper. "What do you
mean by that?"
"Only that it makes me feel choky, sir," whispered Murray, "and I was a
bit ashamed."
"There's nothing to be ashamed of, my lad. I feel as if I should be
glad of a chance to set our lads at some of the torturing, murderous
wretches who drag the people from their own country and treat them as
they do."
"I feel the same, sir," replied Murray, as he stared straight before him
at something that had caught his eye; "but we shall have our chance, I
feel sure, sir, and have the blacks to help us, for they are not working
themselves up like this for nothing."
"Working themselves up," whispered the lieutenant, as the weird chant
went on and the heavy beat of the people's bare feet grew more and more
impressive, while the rate at which they now tore on increased. "Why,
they are working my men up too. The great baby! I shouldn't have
believed it possible that a big strong fellow like that could have been
so impressed."
"What, Tom May, sir?" said Murray.
"Yes, my lad. There were two great tears rolling down his cheeks, and I
suppose he didn't know how they were shining in this dazzling light, for
he rubbed them away with his great ugly fists. Don't let him see that
we noticed it, for I suppose it is genuine emotion, and no one can say
that he is not as big and brave a fellow as ever stepped. Here, look,
boy--look!" whispered the lieutenant excitedly.
"I am looking, sir," replied the middy, "and so is every one else. Oh,
Mr Anderson, I am glad I didn't miss seeing this."
"I don't know, my lad, whether I am glad or whether I am sorry," replied
his leader, "but I should not have thought it possible. It sets one
thinking about what we read regarding the worships of the old idolaters,
and I never imagined that such things could be going on now. Look,
look; they seem to be growing frantic. It can't last long like this;
the poor wretches are growing mad."
For the chant had grown louder and wilder, the wails in chorus more
piercing and thrilling, and the heavy stamping of the bare feet more
heavy and deep-toned, so that all round the great circle in which the
slaves were stamping, the earth vibrated more thunderously than ever.
Then, as if by one impulse, every actor in the weird scene stopped short
in response to a signal given by the huge leader, who threw up his arms
just when the fire, fanned so strangely by the hundreds of figures
sweeping round it, tore upward in a vast whirl of fluttering flame and
eddying sparks, and all with a low, deep musical hum which strangely
dominated the silence.
It was as if the multitude had ceased to breathe, and all present were
reflecting from their staring protuberant eyes the ruddy light of the
roaring cone of flame. The great bronze figure formed the centre upon
which all eyes were fixed, and he stood now with his hands raised on
high as if to hold his followers' attention and make them as statue-like
as himself.
Murray felt impressed and held as it were by the gesture of the great
leader, and for one brief moment turned his eyes upon his brother middy,
to see that his face was thrust forward, his lips were apart, and his
eyes and teeth were glistening in the light.
It was but a momentary glance, and then his own eyes were watching the
great glistening black, who, perfectly nude, now lowered his arms till
they were horizontal, and, with levelled and pointing fingers stalked
towards where the great coffin-shaped box lay in the full light of the
glowing and roaring fire.
He stood with his hands outstretched above the chest for what seemed to
be long-drawn endless minutes; but no one stirred, and then, with one
quick movement, he seemed to sweep off the long lid before him, stooped,
and plunged his hands into the chest, just too as the fire burned the
brightest; and as he rose erect again he tore from out of where it
rested, a great writhing serpent, whose myriad scales flashed in the
brilliant light as if it were of gold.
And then, and then only, a deep, low, moaning murmur rose from the many
throats and died away as if in the distance in one deep sigh.
Silence again, and Murray's eyes were fixed, his breast thrilling, and a
sensation ran through him as if some strange force were plucking at his
nerves and making them vibrate throughout his frame.
For as the great bronze figure stood erect those who watched could see
that the serpent was all in motion, gliding, twining and crawling all
over the priest's stalwart frame, while he too seemed to be working hard
with his hands, trying to control the reptile's movements, but only for
it to go on gliding rapidly through his fingers; and as the midshipman
watched, he kept on getting glimpses of an oval flattened head gliding
over the negro's breast, passing beneath his arms, reappearing again
over his shoulders to pass round his neck, and always eluding the busy
hands which tried to restrain it.
The scene was wonderful. Murray had watched the black snatch the
reptile from the box which held it, and then it was as if he had
snatched forth a dozen serpents which were ever after twining and
intertwining in continuous motion and flashing the while in a wonderful
quivering, endlessly moving flame of glistening scales which seemed to
throw off a phosphorescent mist of light that enveloped both reptile and
man.
As Murray gazed, fascinated by the weirdly strange scene before him, it
seemed to him a dozen times over that a deadly struggle was going on
between the two writhing creatures, and that every now and then, as the
golden oval head darted out of the confusion of movement, it was only to
gather force for a dart at the man and fix its fangs in the quivering
flesh. But there was no cessation; the reptile was ever strong, and the
man as vigorous as ever. Darting at the struggling figure about which
it was twined, and then--perhaps it was the boy's imagination--gaping
wide to fix upon some part of the quivering flesh, breast, back,
shoulder, or side, perhaps most often at the hands which kept on moving
about as sharply as the flat head which played around with such
wonderful rapidity. And the motion was ceaseless, always glistening and
flashing with light, and watched by the hundreds upon hundreds of
glowing opal eyes which reflected the cone of flame still going on
spiralling upwards and burning more fiercely than ever.
What is going to be the end? Murray asked himself. Will the serpent
conquer and the great black priest fall faint and powerless, strangled
to death by the folds of the reptile, which were ever tightening round
breast and neck? But they were ever loosening as well, and at one time
the boy's chest expanded with a glow of satisfaction, for it seemed to
him that the man was gaining the mastery over his enemy, having
succeeded in grasping the serpent's neck with both hands, and begun to
swing and whirl it round and round, whizzing through the air level with
his neck. Murray could almost believe that it was whirled round so fast
that he could even hear it hum and then snap and crack as if it were
some mighty whip-lash with which the great black was flogging the golden
darkness of the night.
The middy panted again, and there was a feeling of constriction about
his chest, just as if the serpent or one of the many serpents that at
times, it seemed, had thrown a fold about him--yes, and another had been
cast about his neck, for in the struggle going on before his eyes the
reptile seemed to be gaining the best of it once more, and the man was
weakening rapidly.
He wondered too that the crowd eddying around remained so silent. It
seemed to him only natural that they should give vent to their feelings
with shouts of joy when the priest looked successful, and groanings when
the serpent had him circled tightly in its toils.
But all the same the midshipman in his excitement realised that he was
as silent as the rest, and stood there, with the perspiration trickling
down from brow to cheek, watching and watching for the end which seemed
as if it would never come.
It must be, he was sure, a struggle that could only end in one way--
death for one of the combatants. And yet the lad felt doubt creep in,
and he asked himself whether it might not end in death for both.
There were moments when, as he saw the great negro struggle and free
himself partially from the serpent's folds, he foresaw the reptile's end
in the glowing fire, which would become man's colleague as well as
servant, and he could almost see the monster writhing and curling up in
the roaring flames to which it was apparently adding fresh fury.
But the next moment there was another phase of horror, for one fold of
the many convolutions seemed to be tightened about the man's arm, and he
was evidently about to be dragged into the fire too, and, as he had
before imagined, it was to be death for both.
But no; the serpent snatched itself away from the impending danger and
tightened itself about the man, who was the next instant bound by the
great living thong about and about his heaving body, and the struggle
was resumed upon equal terms.
Was it never going to finish?
The end was at hand in a way that the watcher had never for a moment
anticipated, for all at once, when the silence, save for the humming
noise of the fire, was at its greatest depth, there arose the sudden
hollow trumpet-like blast of a great conch shell, followed by a savage
fiendish yell, and for one brief moment Murray saw the huge black,
golden red in the fire's glow, standing wiping, as it were so to speak,
the folds of the great serpent from off his arms, then from his neck,
and again from his breast, about which it heaved and twined, before it
was gone, as it were, twisted up by the great knotted arms of the huge
negro, and thrown into the long coffin-shaped chest, whose lid was
slammed down with a noise like the report of a gun; and this was
followed by a noise as of a great wind passing over the amphitheatre,
and Murray looked to see the fire swept away and growing extinct before
the force of what sounded like a storm.
But the fire blazed still, and dominating the rushing wind a voice arose
from close at hand with the familiar cry of--
"_Seafowls_ ahoy!"