ch words
in their diabolical African tongue. John had a whip in his hand, with
which he lashed the water furiously, and uttered his eldritch shrieks.
Charles paused, spell-bound, hardly knowing what to make of the strange
conduct of the negroes, and wishing he could lay the whip about their
own bare shoulders.

During a lull in their performance, he heard a rapid tread of feet
coming toward the spring, and beheld his mother, followed by Cora. No
sooner did the negroes see them, than they left off lashing the water
with their whips and, with the most wild, unearthly screams, bounded
from the spot and ran off into the woods.

Mrs. Stevens and Cora both screamed, and were about to fly, when Charles
emerged from his place of concealment, saying:

"Don't run away, I am here."

"Charles! Charles! what were they doing?" Mrs. Stevens asked.

"It was some of their wild incantations," he answered. "The knaves
deserve to have a good whip laid about their bare backs."

"Truly, they do. Why did they fly at our approach?" asked Mrs. Stevens.

"Perhaps the foolish creatures thought their spell was broken," Charles
answered.

"I am so affrighted," said Cora, shuddering. She was growing dizzy, and
Mrs. Stevens said:

"Catch her, or she will fall."

He bore her to the spring and, kneeling by the brook, bathed the fair
white brow, until she opened her eyes and murmured:

"Mother!"

Many times afterward, both mother and son, recalling the incident,
wondered why she, for the first time, had called for her mother. At all
other times and on all other occasions, the maid persistently denied
that she knew aught of her mother.

A few days later, her father, who had mysteriously and unceremoniously
disappeared, returned. No one asked any questions as to where he had
been, or what business had engaged his attention. He gave the widow some
golden guineas for her care of his child. That night Charles came
accidentally upon the father and daughter in the garden. They were
sitting in a green bower, partially screened from view, so he approached
to within a few paces without being seen.

"Father, have you heard anything more?" she asked.

"No."

"Nor have you seen any one from there?"

"I have not."

"Do you suppose danger is over?"

"Danger never will be over, until there has been a revolution in the
government."

Long did Charles ponder over those mysterious words, and ask himself
what they meant. He again conferred with h