"What's the matter?" shouted Tom.
Baptiste went forward a few steps, hesitated, stopped, turned, and fairly ran back toward the party. As he came he continually turned his head from side to side as if expecting to see some dreadful thing following.
The men behind Tom stopped. Their faces were blanched. They looked, too, from side to side.
"Halt, Mr. Tom, halt! Oh, monjee, M'sieu, stop!" said Jawnny.
Tom looked round at his men, amazed at their faces of mysterious terror.
"What on earth has happened?" cried he.
Instead of answering, the men simply pointed to Big Baptiste, who was soon within twenty yards.
"What is the trouble, Baptiste?" asked Tom.
Baptiste's face was the hue of death. As he spoke he shuddered:—
"Monjee, Mr. Tom, we'll got for stop de job!"