"I wonder," he responded. "I t'ink, hey, queer way to get nigger—no barracoon—go in a boat. But dah plenty nigger food below. Plenty lumber. Plenty chain'. What you get if not nigger?"
I said nothing.
"Maybe so—maybe not," Pedro muttered. His earrings tinkled as he shook his head and moved away.
I was surprised to observe that for the moment all work had stopped.
Seeing that O'Hara was pointing into the swamp, I stepped over beside him to ascertain what had caught his attention, but found the darkness impenetrable.
"I'm telling ye, some one's there," O'Hara muttered with an oath.
I saw that Gleazen and Matterson were on the other side of him.
Now the men were whispering.
"Sh!"
"See there—there—there it goes!"