Part 7 (2/2)

I strained my eyes. The figures of the blacks obscured the view. But at last--what I saw froze my blood.

”We must save it,” I said. ”It's little Marie Cambon.”

As I look back on the experience of the hours following, it is as if I were recalling a horrid dream.

”Robert,” I whispered, ”the rifles!”

We slipped to the ground, seized our little guns, and got back to our places.

The red-robed _papaloi_ was fumbling with a rope that hung from a liana.

An attendant was kneeling on the ground holding a cup to the lips of the child.

In another moment the child was swinging in the air by the rope, its head just clearing the ground. I heard it whimper in fright. The _papaloi_ took up a knife.

”Give it to him in the hand,” I said in Robert's ear.

We leveled our guns together. There was no sound of the explosions. The _papaloi_ dropped the knife, seized his right hand with his left, and he bent over in pain. I had given my shot to the rope. After my second squeeze of the trigger it hung by a strand; a third lead missile, and the child went gently to the ground.

The voodoo wors.h.i.+pers began to scatter in panic of this strange visitation.

We in the tree slipped to the ground. I thrust my rifle into the hands of Carlos and, intent on making the most of the panic, rushed forward.

The _papaloi_ saw me coming, and called on the nearest of his followers.

But I had up the child before any could interfere, and I sprinted back and thrust it into the arms of Robert.

”Run! both of you!” I cried. And I sought to delay pursuit, hurling piece after piece of dead-wood at the nearest blacks, who were already at the chase, urged on by the wounded _papaloi_.

I meant to run for it, and elude the voodoos in the thick forest, so soon as the laden Robert and Carlos should have a good start. My missiles danced about the s.h.i.+ns of the foremost blacks, and they held up.

I was backing toward the edge of the jungle, and in the way of readily making my escape; but some wily black with a club must have taken a thought worth two of that, and got on the wrong side of me. I was just in the thought it was about time to make my break, when I got a crack on the back of my head that put me to sleep.

CHAPTER VII

A DISTRESS CALL GOES TO THE PEARL

I do not know how long I was unconscious, but when I opened my eyes I could see the bright stars, and I made out two black heads of negroes, who bore me in some kind of a litter to which I was bound, wrists and ankles.

I could hear the voices of others ahead, so I knew that there were more in the party. My head felt big, and a dizziness, and a sore spot, reminded me of the whack I'd got. We soon came to a stand, and there sounded a call. A turn of my litter gave me a view of a structure towering near by. Something in the contour was familiar. It was the great palace we were now come to.

I have to make mention of a matter of importance. It was not little Marie Cambon we had saved from the voodoos. This I saw when I grabbed the little one from the ground. It was a young mulatto. So little Marie, then, must still be immured in this old ruin. Perhaps, after all, I should find a way to save her and myself. Some unreasoning blind faith seemed to hold me up, in spite of my desperate situation.

My litter was soon in motion again, and we pa.s.sed through some kind of portal. A lantern illumined the way, and we went up a broad stairway. In the dim light I made out richly carved pillars; mahogany shone red in the wood work, if I were not dreaming, and marble figures looked down on me.

Again we came to a stand, this time in a great hall, and my litter was let down to the floor. One came out and stood over me. It was the voodoo great-priest--the _papaloi_--as I could see by the red bandanna he still wore on his head, and his hand bound in a blood-stained rag. I noted this black's features were as regular as a white man's; and now there was a sneering smile on them.

”So you think you very wise and can defy the Great Power,” he said. He turned and spoke something to an attendant, who stooped and tore open my s.h.i.+rt, while another held the lantern. It was to lay bare my skin where it was unstained and still white.

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