A MIDNIGHT MARCH. 147 
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. 
RAWING 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 stbstance : 
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 
