uggin say Come along,
sah. Look dah. Walk 'long dah, and niggah foots walk over um. Lot o'
niggah foots walk all over cover um up."

"Well," said the lieutenant, "now you have found out the trail so well,
lead on and let's overtake them."

"Ah!" cried the black excitedly, for he had suddenly caught sight of
something at which he bounded and caught it up to hold it before him and
gaze at it with starting eyes.

"What does that mean, Mr Murray?" said the lieutenant, in a low tone,
his attention having been thoroughly taken up by the intelligent black's
behaviour.

"I don't quite know, sir. It's a soft piece of plantain stalk notched
at the edge in a peculiar way. Look, sir."

For, paying no more heed to his companions for the moment, the black
began to search about to the right of the trail, till he suddenly
bounded on for a few paces and caught up a piece of green cane about six
inches long and evidently scratched in a special manner.

"What's that, Caesar?" asked the middy.

The black, who was gazing at the piece of cane with fixed and staring
eyes which seemed to glow, started at the lad's address, and pressed
forward to look him questioningly in the eyes, hesitating.

Then he smiled and nodded.

"Massa buccra. Good Bri'sh sailor. Come set pore niggah free. Him no
tell Massa 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, massa. 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 Massa Allen. Come back now. Massa 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; h