178 TROPIC DAYS 



tion; for the natives of the place are undersized, ill- 

 looking, and deficient generally in the arts of pleasing. 

 Before the master left, Caesar was persuaded by his 

 envious fellow-countrymen to remain with them to 

 be flattered and courted. 



To evade trouble, the whole camp took to the hills 

 for a while. In the meantime Caesar's master departed, 

 thinking, no doubt, that the boy would follow him to 

 his own "more better country." After several weeks 

 the local blacks returned, but Caesar was not of the 

 party, and it did not occur to any of the white residents 

 to ask questions concerning him. In accordance with 

 the love of notoriety which affects humanity irrespec_ 

 tive of complexion, one of the boys began to boast of 

 being as good as Caesar, and to prove his contentions 

 by aping the manners of his absent friend. It was 

 not long before he blurted out the secret by which he 

 had become superfine — he had participated with others 

 in a cannibal rite after Caesar had been good-naturedly 

 killed. 



Rumours of the tragedy came to the ears of the 

 police. The ringleaders of the assassins were arrested, 

 and one at least endured a term of imprisonment as 

 punishment. Caesar had been lured away and killed 

 because he was a good fellow and strong, and because 

 his murderers wanted to be good and strong hke him. 

 Certain parts of his body were eaten, without relish, 

 but with fervent hope. A remarkable circumstance in 

 connection with the sacrifice and ceremonial rite for the 

 general welfare is that the perpetrators console and 

 comfort themselves with the belief that should a meteor 

 appear it is a sign that the victim did not actually die, 

 or if he died under their hands, that he has come to 

 life again. Those who were concerned in the killing 

 and who had partaken of the flesh sat together for 



