t objurgations on the foul, idolatrous crowd
until he was silenced by the sharp tap of a guard's club on his bushy
pate. Nor was it easy for De Noyan to remain quiet, while Madame hid
her shocked white face in her hands, venturing not to glance up while
the sound of these rites continued. Whatever this religious
ceremony--for such I supposed it to be--may have symbolized, it was
finally concluded by the entire party uniting in a fierce chant. As
grim silence settled once more throughout the black interior, the old
war-chief, appearing taller than ever in the weird light, and rendered
peculiarly repulsive by the bandages wrapping his wounds, rose to his
feet, commencing an impassioned address.

No word spoken was intelligible to us, yet I knew so well the nature
and customs of savages as to experience little difficulty in deciding
the purpose of this harangue. Without doubt the fellow demanded an
immediate sacrifice in payment for the loss inflicted on their tribe.
With this conception as guide I noted his continually pointing toward
us, one after another, as if singling us out as special subjects for
denunciation, perhaps for torture, as with each he seemed to associate
a peculiar term, repeating it again and again with changing cadence, as
if thus to force its dread significance more firmly home into the minds
of his listeners. The word I distinguished most frequently had the
sound "_ca-tah_," which became associated in my thought as some special
form of torture to which he desired us sentenced. Nor did I fail to
remark in this connection, my every faculty alert and strained to grasp
the slightest revealment, that, whenever the orator's baleful glance
rested upon the shrinking woman, his lips uttered another word, his
silent audience nodding as though in assent to each demand.

One followed another, no doubt in accordance with rank. Those chiefs
upon the platform spoke first, each in turn seeming to pronounce
against us in favor of that same unknown fate, making use of those two
words, gesticulating toward us as they gave judgment. Nowhere amid all
that vengeful black circle did I discern a single face not set in
savage hatred, while slowly at first, but gathering force as it
proceeded, there passed from lip to lip the sullen murmur of that dread
word "_ca-tah_." As it was pronounced each voter pointed at us, three
times making repetition of the word, until the last warrior had spoken,
and we knew that our do