Down at the village by
the water he heard of this Obi man. He has evidently great power in
this part of the island. These fellows are all great rascals, and
Carthew may have either gone or sent to him, and made arrangements
that he and a party should if necessary be allowed to establish a
camp in the valley where this fellow lives; of course, promising
him a handsome present. He could have chosen no safer place.
Following hard as we have done on his track, we have obtained a
clue; but it is not probable that any of the natives whom Dominique
has questioned has the smallest idea that the party were going
towards this fetish man's place. In fact, the only man that could
know it was the negro at that last hut, and you may be sure that
were he questioned by any searching party he would not dare to give
any information that might excite the anger of this man.
"It is likely enough that this fellow has a gang of men with him,
bound to him partly by interest and partly by superstitious fears.
We shall probably have to reckon with these fellows in addition to
Carthew's own force. He seems to have taken ten or twelve of the
blacks from the village with him.
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