Part 82 (1/2)
”Yes, ma.s.sa. Obeah man. Snake fetish. Big snake in great box dah.
Priest Obeah man take snake out o' box soon. Not good for ma.s.sa.”
”Oh, that's it, is it?” said the lieutenant. ”Do you know anything about all this, Murray?”
”No,” replied the lad, ”only that I have heard something of serpent wors.h.i.+p which the blacks have carried with them to Barbadoes and Jamaica, sir.”
”Say Hayti too, my lad.”
”No, sir,” said Murray, smiling, his face looking bright in the warm glow spread by the tremendous fire now burning. ”I can't say any more, for I have heard so little about these people and their religion.”
”I expect you know as much as I do, Murray, my lad. This is Obeah, isn't it? Serpent wors.h.i.+p, Caesar?”
”Yes, ma.s.sa. Not good for Bri'sh officer and brave sailor. Snake in big box. Priest show um to people. Obeah. Berry dreadful, sah.”
”Very dreadful nonsense, Murray,” said the lieutenant to his companion, in a low tone. Then speaking aloud: ”And what is it all for?”
The black shook his head.
”Caesar can't tell, ma.s.sa. Priest show big snake Caesar people. Make all see fire and fight.”
”Aha! Fight, eh?” said the lieutenant, after a glance at Murray.
”Yes, ma.s.sa; make people fight--kill.”
”Fight and kill us?” said Mr Anderson.
The man showed his white teeth and shook his head.
”No, ma.s.sa; Caesar people no fight Bri'sh captain, Bri'sh officer. All come do poor black fellow good. Ma.s.sa want know why not go fesh Ma.s.sa Allen. Not good time. Caesar people all come to snake fetish. Obeah priest call people to come not know who Ma.s.sa Huggin friend, who Ma.s.sa Allen friend. Caesar bring Bri'sh officer, Bri'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 superst.i.tious 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 pausing with wonderful unanimity to stamp and utter a wild and stirring moan as if of despair. Then they tossed their hands on high in obedience to the movements of their leader, who seemed to tower up above them, and whose black skin, which had most probably been heavily anointed with palm oil, glistened in the firelight until when every now and then he stopped short and stood motionless, he looked like some great image cast in ruddy bronze.
Onward and onward tramped and stamped the great procession; the strange thrilling chant rose and fell, now uttered as a wild shrieking yell, and then descending gradually until the sailors were listening to a wail of despair, as if the wretched people were appealing for pity in their terrible position and asking for help to relieve them from their piteous bondage.
”And I was afraid my lads would laugh, Murray,” whispered the lieutenant huskily. ”Why, my lad, there's something so terrible, so horrible, about it all that one seems to want no explanation. It tells its own tale of the poor wretches' sufferings.”
”Yes, sir,” whispered back the middy, ”and I'm glad to hear you say that.”
”Glad, boy!” cried the lieutenant, in an angry whisper. ”What do you mean by that?”