my tree-top, boarded throughout, in which the priests had their
semi-aerial domicile. But when these rascals, perhaps thirty or forty
in number, saw the whole rescue-party file in, and the grim row of
frowning muzzles opening in line with their wretched carcases, the
entire band simply flopped down upon their knees, and howled for mercy,
the "big man fetish" himself making more noise than anyone.

By great good fortune, poor Leigh, with his wife and child, had been
preserved for the occasion of a great fetish dance at next new moon, and
were soon found and released, and, as restitution was quickly made of
all the plunder stolen from Equatoria, our friends contented themselves
with giving the rascals what Kenyon called "a jolly good hiding all
round," and then drove them out of the forest altogether, and set fire
to their abominable nest, the dry matting making a fine blaze amongst
the tree-tops, out of which it scared the monkeys, parrots, and other
legitimate denizens in very large numbers. The simple "People of the
Stick" were astonished at the discovery made by their white associates;
for the poor fetish-ridden creatures of these parts had been almost
harried out of their lives by the priests, who were supposed to dwell
invisibly under a tree, in whose upper branches, however, was located
their real abode. Under this tree, which could be reached only by a
bridle-path from the rear of the belt of forest, the miserable negro
would devoutly deposit his offering, and when returning upon his way to
Equatoria, and passing near the hollow tree, _two miles off_, he would
probably find the gift which, not unfrequently, comprised his little
all, thrown contemptuously in his path, whilst hidden voices admonished
the terror-stricken wretch to hurry off, and bring a better offering,
unless he wished to have his heart torn out of his body. This, of
course, was "very big fetish" to such a superstitious people, and they
would do almost anything to propitiate the awful Spirit of the Air. Not
content with these thievish tricks, however, the priests slew very many
men, stole the women, and generally played the "hanky-panky
spiritualist" game to their hearts' content.

Before liberating the "big man fetish" himself, Kenyon closely
questioned him, through the interpreter, regarding the drug which he had
used for the purpose of stupefying the "People of the Stick," and found
that the feat was accomplished by steeping torches of fibro