The Voodoo Gold Trail Page 4

  CHAPTER IV

  WE PICK UP THE TRAIL

  In the morning all but Rufe went to shore. Rufe would have none of it.

  "Say," he said, when Ray offered to remain aboard in his place, "say,you-all, you ain't guine git dis niggah in dat town to be voodooed bydem heathen niggahs. Hum-n! An' I ain't got no rabbit-fut, nor nuthing."

  Julian, Ray, and Norris went sight-seeing, while Marat, Robert, and Imade our way to the apothecary shop.

  Jules Sevier greeted us.

  "I ver' sorry I have no news for you," he said. "There is one, I couldnot find, who have a son who carry the mail, and know ver' much of theescountry. Maybe tomorrow she weel be home, and we can learn sometheeng."

  He ushered us into the shop, where there awaited us a black woman ofmiddle age, who, Sevier said, would tell us a tale that we would travelfar to find a match for. She could speak only in the French; so JeanMarat got her tale, which he interpreted for Robert and myself.

  Her husband had been a voodoo devotee; but twelve years ago he had beeninduced to renounce the worship, and turn to one of the Christiandenominations. One of his old associates contrived to introduce into hisfood one of the poisons so well known to the voodoo.

  The man died.

  The authorities insisted on his immediate burial. The poor widow hadgone to visit his grave on the following day, only to find his emptycoffin, beside the opened grave. The body was gone. The remains werefound, however, hours later, with the heart and lungs removed. She saidshe then was convinced poison had been given him to put him in a trance,and that the voodoo worshipers had exhumed him a few hours after burial,and resuscitated him, to obtain the living blood for admixture with therum, and to take the heart for a voodoo feast.

  When the woman had gone, Jules Sevier told us that he was prepared toescort some one of us to witness an actual voodoo ceremonial that verynight. He assured us that by reason of the nearness of the locality tothe city, our sensibilities would be subjected to no greater shock thanto witness the sacrifice of fowls. We none of us confessed to over muchcuriosity, even for so mild a show; but in this quest we were on, somemore actual knowledge of these practices might stand us in good stead.

  It fell to me to be Sevier's companion on the excursion; and I returnedalone, at dusk, to take supper with him, and prepare for the show. Theapothecary assured me that if we were to go as white men, we should seelittle to our purpose, since it would then be necessary to depart beforeany important part of the ceremonial should begin. So he brought into aback-room certain grease-paints, and a pair of black, woolly wigs, andtwo outfits--jackets, trousers, and hats,--of the same nondescript stylethat I had seen on the streets of the city.

  He set to work to help me to smear and rig myself first; and when theoperation was complete he set a glass before me. I was shocked at thespectacle, and I set to, to rubbing my wrist, to see if this black stainmight not be permanent, so natural did it appear. It refused to rub off.Sevier saw my embarrassment, and laughingly assured me that any tallowwould take it off.

  We passed out at the back, into the dark, and made our way through thestreets. The rows of unattractive buildings with their second storybalconies, shallow and overhanging, were like the pictures I'd seen ofthe Chinatown of a great city. The stench from the gutters wasnauseating, the heat stifling. We had presently passed the outskirts ofthe city, and were treading a rough road.

  For some time I had been cocking my ear to a distant sound. It began asa scarcely discernible rumble; then it would swell to a roar, as of anapproaching storm, and die away, and then swell again, and then fallaway again, in a most improper and bewildering fashion. The blackenedapothecary at my side informed me that it was the _Ka_--the voodoo drum,and that I should presently see the drummer. When we had covered someabove a mile of this road, the drummer seemed to have taken hisinstrument and gone some considerable distance away, for the rumble hadnow become scarce audible. But my conductor informed me it was apeculiarity of the thing that it was heard with greater distinctness ata distance than when near by; and so the lesser sound was evidence thatwe were drawing near our goal. The skin over my spine was becoming a bitcreepy. The ghostly palms looked down on us, and seemed to whisperthings. If I had been alone I am quite sure I should have turned back.In an interval between the rumblings of the drum I heard a cricket, andthat familiar sound gave me some comfort.

  Then at last we made out a great fire ahead, and between us and theleaping flames were many dusky figures, grotesquely capering. As weapproached we saw that one or two were already in a frenzy ofexcitement, and there was constant drinking. Then I made out thedrummer. He was sitting astride of what appeared to be a cask, hisfingers playing upon the end. The dancers seemed as if they would flyinto the tree-tops with ecstacy, at each swelling of the sound.

  We two kept well out in the shadows, till all of that hundred or more ofblacks seemed to have reached the height of intoxication; then we movedin. Finally the dancing ceased, and an old crone in a red robe mounted arude platform, taking her place beside the snake-box.

  She first addressed the mob; and then each worshiper in turn cameforward, spoke words, and lay some offering before the box. My companionwhispered me the explanation that they were asking favors. The oldcrone--the _mamaloi_--set her ear to the box, and gave out the answers,one by one.

  All now crowded close, as the _mamaloi_ seized a white rooster by thehead in the one hand, flashing a knife in the other. A sweep of theblade, and the black devotees directly were mixing blood with the rum intheir cups, which they drank. Fowl after fowl followed the first, andall presently found their way into pots for cooking. And the wildcaperings recommenced with the drinking, and the shouting, and all.

  I began to sicken of the spectacle; and then I noted suspicious eyestaking us in. It was then Jules Sevier whispered me--"Come, it is timewe go now." And so we slipped off in the shadows.

  The drum ceased its rumble, and the tree-frogs began their warble; towhich music I trod the dark road with a lighter step. "They will keepon," said Sevier, "till they be exhaust', or ver' drunk, and then theyfall, and sleep all the day."

  Certain odors of the dank vegetation filled my nostrils; similar odorsever after have served to recall the spectacle I had witnessed thatnight.

  The city was quiet; the populace seemed all to be sleeping. The howlingof some cats was all the sound we heard as we threaded the streets.

  Soon we were busied with removing the black stain from our skins. Theoperation consumed nearly an hour--with the fats, the soap, and therubbing. And then I was lighted to my bed by Sevier.

  We were at breakfast, when there arrived at the back door the mother ofthe mail carrier, that Sevier had told us of. The apothecary had her in,and questioned her while we ate. She had no knowledge of any MonsieurMordaunt, but her son had often made mention of one Duran, a white man,of the north coast, who was much abroad in his schooner yacht, and whohad, many years back, come suddenly into untold wealth. It was said thesource was wealthy connections in France.

  "Ah, thad is your man!" said Jules Sevier, when he had repeated to mewhat the woman told. "Thad is your man. Duran he is on this island,Mordaunt w'en he is in Jamaica, or where not."

  In an hour, appeared Captain Marat and Robert. While they were not alittle entertained by the account of my last night's experiences, theyfound greater interest in the news of the morning.

  "We're on his trail now," declared Robert.

  "Yes," agreed Marat. "Now it weel not be hard to find heem, I theenk."

  But Jules Sevier had a word to say. He spoke rapidly in French with JeanMarat for some minutes; then he turned to Robert and myself.

  "I have explain' to Captain Marat," he said, "thad eet will not do tospik weeth the authorities about thees matter. The authorities are toomuch in the voodoo themselv'. You weel have to keep quiet about theesbusiness, except w'en you know with whom you spik. The voodoo are ver'strong in thee government here."

  Sevier left his shop in the care of an assistan
t, and accompanied us tothe shore. He gave us much valuable information about the region towhich we were going, and advice as to our dealing with the natives.Before we stepped into the boat he held out a small parcel to me.

  "Here is some supply of the paint," he said, "and the two black wigs.They may be of use to you, if you go back in the country. Remember thesepeople ver' suspicious of white men."

  It was with some relish that we up anchor and away from that city ofstenches. The heat was oppressive, of which we got some relief when wellout to sea.

  What with squalls, followed by dead calms, which in turn flung us about,and then held us much off our course, it was some days before the_Pearl_ finally approached the land again, this time on the north coastof this island of towering peaks.

  We delayed the noon meal until we had cast our anchor within thesheltering reefs. Our first care was to search the harbor for somevessel answering the description of the _Josephine_, owner M. Duran. Andwe were in no doubt that Duran and Mordaunt were one and the same. Bothour boats were lowered, and manned by two parties of searchers: CaptainMarat, Ray, and Robert went in one, Grant Norris, Julian Lamartine, andmyself set off in the other. There were sailing vessels a plenty in theharbor, but not one whose appearance touched our present interest. Butwhen our boat returned to the _Pearl_, the three of us a bit dejectedover our non-success, we found the others awaiting us, and having adifferent story. They had not found the schooner we sought, but they hadat any rate come across news of her. Captain Marat had chanced to speakwith the first officer of a steamer in from Kingston on the day before.

  "This man say," exclaimed Captain Marat, "thad w'en the steamer come in,he see the _Josephine_, which he recognize to have seen in Kingstonharbor, and she have a new name painted on--_Orion_. An' ver' soonafter, he see the _Orion_ sail away out of the harbor."

  At this last bit I felt my heart fall.

  "Don't cry yet, Wayne," said Ray, "wait till you hear the rest."

  And then Jean Marat went on to relate how he had continued hisinquiries, with the result that he had found a sailor whose vessel hadlain near the _Orion_ and who told of seeing a white man of the _Orion_go to shore in a boat, into which had been put a basket of unusualproportions. This sailor had been quite sure that the white man had notreturned aboard when the schooner _Orion_ had sailed away.

  We were all now in a flutter of excitement; it was the recollection ofthe story of the big basket that had been taken aboard the boat,together with the two blacks, beyond Portland Point, in Jamaica.Whatever doubts we had held of our being on the right track were thusdispelled.

  Night had fallen quickly while we talked, all squatting in a circle onthe deck. I could hear Rufe mumbling to himself, and rattling pans inthe galley. The sailors, leaning on the rail, forward, were watching thelights of the city.

  "We have now only to find Mordaunt--or Duran--and the big basket," saidJulian. "It looks like everybody notices that basket."

  "Yes, that is the first step," agreed Norris. "But that city over thereis big, and there's no telling when this Duran will throw the basketaside."

  "Yes," said Robert, "when he gets the little one among the voodoo folkshe won't have any more use for the basket."

  "Say!" broke in Ray, "I don't believe a man can turn over a little kidto the voodoos to be killed that way, unless he's a voodoo himself. ThisMordaunt--Duran, or whatever his name is--is just bluffing, to make theCambons give in to him. All he wants is to set up housekeeping, withMiss Josephine Cambon as Mrs. Duran."

  "Ah, no," said Captain Jean Marat, "this man have mix' blood; ver' manyof the mulatto' are ver' cruel; and mos' of these men who have ver' nearall white blood are the mos' cruel. They like best of anything to havevengeance. The more exquisite they can make the suffering of others, themore exquisite the pleasure they feel."

  I had been very late dropping off to sleep, troubled as I was withthoughts of little Marie and her danger. It seemed I had barely closedmy eyes, when Rufe came beating a pan about our ears. "De sun soon up,"he said. "Dey ain' no mo' sleep foh de weary."

  The light was already on the mountain peaks; and soon the sun leapedinto view. Cool breezes came from the hills, carrying the heavy vegetalodors from the forests.

  Early the _Pearl_ was abandoned by all except Rufe (who refused to goashore) and two black sailors. We separated into parties of two, tosearch the city. It was Robert Murtry who paired with me this day.

  We passed up one street and down another, hour after hour, in thissearch for one whom we had never set eyes on. It was much as if we weredependent on instinct to spot our man, should we meet up with him.Unfortunately we were a good deal conspicuous because of our color.

  At noon Robert and I munched the lunch we carried, and so continuedalong street after street of this large but unattractive city, with itsuncouth, wooden structures.

  At last, far up the street we glimpsed a white man. We hurried afterhim, but lost him at a second turning.

  The afternoon was better than half gone, when there stepped out from ahouse, almost treading on our toes, a white man who seemed startled atthe sight of us. He passed on down the way we had come. We moved on afew steps and looked back, to see that our man had also turned, and wasobserving us. A few yards more brought us to a tight-board fence. Whenthe man's head was turned, I pulled Robert through a gap and so got usbehind the board screen. We contrived to get a peep down the street, andsoon observed our man retracing his steps. We were each at a knot-holewhen he came near.

  And then it was I experienced a thrill of conquest. The man had stoppedin an attitude of wonder. At once his hand went to his ear, and hepulled gently and intermittently at the lobe of it, while he continuedto puzzle over the thing that was in his mind.

  Here was our man at last. How fortunate that he had possessed thatmannerism! It was rather a well-formed, swarthy face he had, clear-cutfeatures, and hair that curled. I do not know if it was what I knew ofhim, but I seemed to see something sinister in his aspect.

  He stepped toward that opening in our fence. For the moment I was inpanic; there was no time to dodge into the shed at the back. Then Iwhipped out my pocket-knife, and Robert and I were at a game of "mumblethe peg," when we felt the man's eyes upon us. We were careful not tolook up. He must have stood there observing us for about the space of aminute, and then we heard his step as he went his way. We sprang to thebreak in the fence and cautiously peeked. He looked back at frequentintervals as he walked down the street.

  "Well, he's spotted us," said Robert. "How can we follow him?"

  "We'll just have to do it anyway," I answered. "It's our only chance."

  We stepped out boldly, making some effort to reduce the space betweenthe man Duran and ourselves, all the while, endeavoring by playfulpunches at one another to make it appear that we had no more seriouspurpose than to pass the time of a holiday.

  Presently the man turned off the street, disappearing from our sight.

  "There he goes!" said we both together; and we darted off, one after theother. When we reached the place where our quarry had made his turn, welooked in vain down the side street. He was nowhere in view. On each ofthe two corners stood a two-story house with the usual shallow balconyabove the walk.

  "He may have gone into one of these houses," suggested Robert.

  "Yes," I agreed, "and he may be watching us now."

  From a point of vantage we watched for above an hour; but our man didnot again appear.

  "Well," I finally began, "he's given us the slip. We can't do betterthan go hunt up the others."

  We were anything but dejected, for we had discovered the region of oneof Duran's haunts.

  We had not long to wait at the wharf, and our friends were muchinterested in the tale we spun them.

  "It's plain enough that fellow suspected you were looking for him,"declared Norris. "It wasn't just ordinary curiosity made him go back tosee what you were up to."

  "We must loose no time," pressed Captain Marat. "Some of us who' he havenot see
' can watch for thees Duran."

  And now came the return of Robert and myself to the street of ouradventure, accompanied by Jean Marat and Ray, to whom we pointed out theplace where we had last seen Duran, by which name I shall now call him.Then, leaving Marat and Ray on the watch, we returned to join theothers, and go aboard the schooner. It was considered needful to makesome provision for a possible sojourn ashore for some part of ourcompany.

  "I sho' is glad you-all is come back," Rufe greeted us, as we climbedaboard. "Some o' dem heathen voodoo niggars has been a' circumvallatin'aroun' dis heah ship."

  "What do you mean by that?" demanded Norris.

  "Jes' what I say," returned Rufe. "Less'n two hours ago Neb come to mean' says dey's a boat a comin'. I goes out, an' I see four o' demniggars a rowin' dis way, jes' like dey fixed to come on board. I goesin afte' mah shot-gun, and I lays it on de roof, so's dey kin see it;an' when dey is close, I says: 'I reckon you-all better not come tooclose to dis heah ship.' Dey seems kin' o' s'prised, an' eyein' dat gun,and hol'n back wid dere oars. Den one o' dem niggars up an' says: 'Wharis you-all from?' And I says--'We's from de good ole U. S., I reckon.'He says--'Ain' you been in Kingston?'

  "I begin to smell dat rat, an' I say to myself dat dese here niggars isfrom dat schooner we is lookin' foh, an' dey's come to git wisdom.

  "I scratch my head, an' say--'Kickston--Kickston--if dey is a town in deU. S. by dat name, I ain' heered of it.' He says, 'No, Kickston, dat'sin Jamaica.' I say, 'Oh, I reckon you mean de kick dat's in de rum. Nowe ain' got no Jamaica rum wid no kicks by de ton in it--we ain' got norum at all; dis here ship is strictly temperance.'"

  "Well, did that satisfy him?" laughed Norris.

  "Not 'zactly," returned Rufe, "He wanted to know whar we-all was agoin', and I tol' him dat depend on de wind an' how de 'maggot bite'--weain't got no sailin' orders, 'zactly. And den he seem plumb disgusted,an' dey rows away widout no t'anks foh all de wisdom I give um."

  "Well, did you see what way their boat went?" I asked.

  "Yes, sah," said Rufe, "I got de glasses, an' I wach um row way up deshore to de east, I reckon way outside de town."

  "It's plain enough," began Norris. "That man, Duran, has had his eyes onus, and sent those blacks out to confirm his suspicions that we hadfollowed from Kingston."

  "And I'll bet," offered Robert, "that he sent them since Wayne and I sawhim, and that he is now a long way from that place where we left CaptainMarat and Ray on watch."

  Night had come on while we talked. Rufe set a meal before us, and whilewe supped we had new meat for discussion. It was part of the informationwe got of Jules Sevier that criminal voodooism was practiced only backin the hills. It was plain, then, that the trail must finally lead ussomewhere beyond the city. And what more reasonable than to concludethat Duran's blacks had gone that way in their boat? It was there then,we must seek little Marie Cambon. And it was then I made the suggestionthat Robert and I should follow that trail alone, if we found that itpointed inland.

  As expected, Marat and Ray had got no news of the man, Duran. CaptainMarat, however, had got into talk with a mulatto, of whom he drew theinformation that the part of the city in which we had come upon Duranwas a hot-bed of the city voodoo, whose practices were said to be of amoderate nature. It was well back in the hills that voodooism went fullswing.

  Captain Marat fell in with Robert's and my plan to take up the trail onland, alone, if occasion should come; and he helped us with ourequipment. We would have with us our little rifles and some fishingtackle. If the trail should lead us into the country a dove or two, andsome fish, now and then, might prove welcome additions to ourgrub-sacks.