of these unattractive specimens of
humanity, but they, it appeared, had made up their minds to remain, for
the purpose of obtaining whatever we were disposed to bestow on them,--
or perhaps of stealing, if they had the opportunity. However, on that
point we may have wronged them.

As soon as the two lads had scraped every particle of meat off the bone
Naggernook had thrown them, they collected some sheets of bark and put
up a lean-to close to our camp, showing that they had no intention of
going away. Pullingo, when he sat before the fire at supper, gave us,
in a low voice, as if afraid they would overhear him, a long account of
his native acquaintances who had honoured us with a visit; but what it
was we could not clearly make out. One thing was certain,--that a
considerable number of blacks were encamped in our neighbourhood, though
whether we should be troubled by them remained to be seen. Of course we
kept watch as usual, Mudge and I undertaking the charge of the second
watch. We agreed to walk together round and round the camp; or if one
sat down, the other was to move backwards and forwards, and to speak to
him at each turn.

We had been walking up and down for nearly an hour, when, feeling very
tired, I sat down, while Mudge continued pacing up and down. He had
just got to the end of his beat, the light of the fire still enabling me
to watch him, when I saw him bending forward with his hand above his
eyes, as if to peer into the darkness. As I got up and moved towards
him, he stopped. Just then I saw, in an opening of the forest some way
off, what appeared to be a human figure, standing on the summit of a
mound of earth slightly elevated above the surrounding ground. Human
though the figure was, it had a most extraordinary appearance. From the
shoulders floated out, moved by the breeze which blew through the
opening, the ends of a long scarf, with which its body was enveloped,
like the wings of some huge bird of night. A long beard hung from its
chin; while its hair, divided into separate long locks, rose in numerous
points above its head.

Not a sound issued from this extraordinary-looking being, who stood like
a statue--with the exception of its arms, which it continued slowly to
wave up and down in a series of mysterious signs, as if it would bar our
progress in that direction; indeed, if I may not be accused of impiety
by saying so, it reminded me of the angel with the flaming sword,
stationed a