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 paus