A MIDNIGHT MARCH. I47 



CHAPTER X. 



A MIDNIGHT MARCH, AND WHAT CAME OF IT. 



THE APPARITION. THE LOST CHIEF. A FORGOTTEN LANGUAGE. 



THE MARCH BY TORCHLIGHT. STRANGE AND DISTORTED 

 FORMS. THE FOREST WILDERNESS. A MYSTERIOUS SOUND. 

 "A TREE FELLED BY GOD." VIRGIN, PROTECT US ! -* COOKING 

 BY STEAM. THE ROSEWOOD CABIN. THE CHIEF DISAPPEARS. 



IS IT GOLD? A SMALL BOA CONSTRICTOR. A CARIB BAS- 

 ILISK. THE BIGGEST BUG IN THE WORLD. IT COMES IN 

 SEARCH OF THE NATURALIST. THE HERCULES BEETLE. 

 CENTIPEDES. SCORPIONS. AN UNNAMED PALM WITH EDIBLE 

 SEEDS. A PRIESTESS OF OBEAH. AFRICAN WITCHCRAFT. 

 ITS STRONGHOLD. PROSTRATED BY THE HEAT. FEVER. 



DRAWING the well-nigh exhausted Coryet into 

 the cave, Meyong quickly revived the fire, and 

 assisted him to disburden himself of his load of pro- 

 visions. Weak and trembling, the boy sank to the 

 earth ; and not till a drink of rum had been poured 

 down his throat could he tell us the cause of his 

 alarm. With us as excited listeners, he then gave a 

 story, of which the following is the substance : 



He arrived at the camp late in the forenoon, and,' 

 finding we had left for the cave, followed on at once. 

 Burdened with his load and the care of the dogs, he 

 was obliged to travel slowly, and it was dark long be- 

 fore he left the high-woods belt and struck the upper 

 trail. He was not afraid, however, as the dogs gave 

 him company, and he walked cheerily on, until a low 



