Part 78 (2/2)

”Ma.s.sa buccra. Good Bri'sh sailor. Come set pore n.i.g.g.ah free. Him no tell Ma.s.sa Huggin. Him no kill pore black darkie. Iss, Caesar tell um,” he whispered now, with his lips so close that the lad felt the hot breath hiss into his ear. ”Dat Obeah, ma.s.sa. Dat black man's Obeah.

Come along now Caesar know. Find fetish. Plenty many black boy speak soon.”

”But you are going the wrong way,” said Murray, clapping the black upon the shoulder to draw him back.

”No, sah. Caesar go right way. Way Obeah tell um.”

”But Mr Allen: we want to follow Mr Allen.”

”No can, sah. Not now. Come back. Not time yet.”

”But you said that this Huggins would kill Mr Allen now that he has got him away.”

”No,” said the black, shaking his head. ”No kill um now. Plenty black boy 'top um; no let um kill Ma.s.sa Allen. Come back now. Ma.s.sa wait.”

”Oh, nonsense!” cried the lieutenant. ”I am not going to be treated like this. Look here, you sir; you must go on and follow up the trail till we overtake this slaving scoundrel and make him prisoner. Do you hear?”

The black listened, and looked at the speaker gravely, but made no reply.

”Do you hear, sir?” cried the lieutenant again. ”Speak to him, Mr Murray; he seems to listen to you better than he does to me.”

”I'll try, sir,” said Murray, ”but I'm afraid he will not stir now.”

”You tell him that he must, sir.”

Murray repeated the lieutenant's words, with the result that the black listened to him with a face that for a few moments looked dull and obstinate, but which changed to a softer aspect as his bright eyes looked full in those of the frank young mids.h.i.+pman, before they closed slowly and their owner shook his head.

”Come, Mr Murray,” said the chief officer; ”you are not making the fellow understand.”

”No, sir,” said Murray gravely, ”and I am afraid he is not to be forced.” Then the lad's eyes flashed with annoyance, for Roberts glanced at him and said to his leader--

”Shall I try, sir?”

”Yes, do. These people want to be made to understand that when they receive orders they must obey them.”

”Yes, sir,” cried Roberts, making the most of himself, as he frowned at their black guide. ”Murray is too easy with them. Here, you sir--”

Here Roberts's speech was cut short by the lieutenant, who had been watching the change in Murray's countenance, and he exclaimed--

”That will do, Mr Roberts, thank you. I think I can manage the matter better myself. Here, what's your name--Caesar?”

”Yes, sah; Caesar,” said the black; and Murray looked at him sharply, for the man's manner seemed completely changed.

”Then listen to me. You ought to have learned with the power to speak English that a servant must obey his master.”

The black drew himself up with his face growing hard from his setting his teeth firmly.

”Ma.s.sa Huggin make me servant and call me slabe; beat me--flog me--but I was prince once, sah, in Obeah land.”

The lieutenant's face flushed and he was about to speak angrily, but there was something in the slave's manner that checked him, and the two middies looked at him wonderingly, as instead of giving some stern order he said in a quiet, matter-of-fact, enquiring way--

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