The People of the Mist

two flapper-ducks in some weeds, and there was a talk of lighting a fire to cook them by. Finally Leonard negatived this idea. "It is

f paddles and made out the shapes of canoes passing them. There were several canoes, each of which towed somethi

ed Otter, "these are the slave-

d the slavers, paddling furiously up stream, passed w

ptain of the next canoe; "the landing-place is

not stop here," said Le

d Otter, "I hea

resently they heard them collecting reeds for burning, and in ten minut

of this," said Leonard;

answered Otter; "let us wait awhile. I have anothe

d of men eating and drinking-especially drinking. An ho

o, Baas; I can

going, White

Portuguese, and wish to hear what they say. Ot

n, "but be careful. T

Baas is clever also, and I, I am

s, Leonard missed his footing and fell into a pool of water with a splash. Some of the slave-dealers hea

rtuguese. "She won't hurt us.

wenty-two. One, their leader, appeared to be a pure-bred Portugee, some of the others were Bastards and the rest Arabs. They were drinking rum and w

a half-breed; "why did he take it into his head to send

another three or four days; the dhows are not ready, and there is talk of an

the auction of the white girl, the English trader's daughter, whom we caught up the river yonder. There's a beauty for some lucky dog;

go too dear for the likes of you; besides it is foolish to sp

ing misfortune to him, and wants to be rid of her. Ah! he is a wag, is the old man-he loves a joke, he does. 'All men are brothers,' he said yesterday, 'white or black; ther

tain. "Anyhow, here is a health to her, the love. By the way, did some of you th

tard, "the old wo

comrades, none better,"

sation became more and more revolting, till Leonard could scarcely listen to it and lie still. At length it died away, and one

s and knees, and his face loo

hall we--" and he drew h

ughter of sleeping men, however wicked. Besides, could it be done without

k. "Follow me, we will

ood," sa

ive large flat-bottomed punts, containing the arms and provisions of the slave-dealers. Drawing their knives they cut

to which they had listened. Leonard looked at him and turned to creep away; already Otter was five paces ahead, when suddenly the ed

he could even cry aloud. Then came a struggle short and sharp, and a knife flashed. Before Otter could get back to his side it was d

er they ran, rather than walked, bac

, and pointing to Leonard

answere

," Soa muttered fiercely

o the canoe with you. They

ss the river, which at this spot ran rapidly and had a width of some eight hundred yards, so as to hide in the shadow of the opposite b

augh, Black O

ey find? They will find themselves on a little isle in the middle of great waters, into which, even if they could, they will not dare to swim because of the alligators. They can get no food on the island, for they have no guns and ducks do not stop to be caught, but outside the alligators will wait in hundreds to catch them. By-and-by they will grow

ches yet echoing in his ears he could feel little pity f

avers had awakened, they had found the dead man in their midst mysteriously slain by an invisible foe. And no

nt glimpses of the frantic men rushing to and fro in the bright moonlight and seeking for their boats. But the boats had departed

a what he had heard

Black One?" she aske

hall be at the Yellow Devi

they had cut adrift. Most of them were tied to

scuttle them,

where we must land," and he pointed to a distant tongue of marsh. "Let us go with th

to which they fastened all the boats with ropes that hung ready. Then they searched the lockers and to their joy discovered food in plenty, including cooked meat, spirits, biscuits, bread, and some oranges and bananas. Only those who have been

of the party. One suit was a kind of uniform plentifully adorned with gold lace, having tall boots and a broad felt hat with a white ostrich feather in it to m

ins of the leader of the party, which he had preferred to keep in his own company even on his travels. On examination t

"this is my word, that

r?" aske

be seen by the slave-traders they

Thus disguised, with a silk sash round his middle and a pistol stuck in it,

fficulty was that all the dresses proved too long for him. Finally it was found necessary to cut on

they might be useful hereafter, they prepared for a start on foot across the marshes. By an afterthought Leonard fetched the bag of gold and put it in his

he broiling heat of the day, since linger they dared not. They met no living man on their path, though here and there they found the body of some wretched slave, whos

ing from a great lagoon on the northern and eastern sides, ran up to the low enclosure of the buildings that, on these faces, were considered to be sufficiently defended by the swamp and the wide waters beyond. On the southern and western aspects of the camp matters were different, for here the place was strongly fortified both by art

ard floor. Herein were but two buildings, a shed supported on posts and open from the eaves to the ground, where sales of slaves were carried on, and further to the north, almost continuous with the line of the Nest itself, but separate from it, a small erection, very strongly b

s camp was separated from the Nest enclosure by a deep canal, thirty feet in width and spanned at one point by a slender and primitive drawbridge that led across the canal to the gate of the camp. Also it was protected on the Nest side by a low wall, and on the slave-camp side by an earthwork, planted as usual with prickly-pears. On this earthwork near the gate and little guard-house

only be approached through it. This also was fort

f what was in those days the