“Dat I am, Mars’r Cap’n—dat dis chile am! Ole Cato giv’ berry much to be out’n dis ’ere muss. I done tol’ yer, cap’n, Mars’r Cap’n, dat war Obeah sure ’nuff. I done see’d ’em onc’t afore. Golly! dis chile’s done gone dead!”
“Hold your tongue! what if it was a ghost? Spirits can not harm a man. If they did there wouldn’t be a live man in all the world. I want you to stop this nonsense right away. Don’t let me hear another word of it! d’ye understand? Time is scarce; come on, and keep still.”
Taking up his unfortunate prisoner, he motioned Cato to follow suit with the clothing he had dropped in his fright, and went rapidly across the glade, closely followed by the terrified negro. Five minutes later the glade was deserted, and Katie, sweet Katie, was in the hands of a villain, being hurried away to Shadow Swamp.
Hush! who is lying cold, still and bloody by a thick tree in Dead-Man’s Forest? Who is there to save him from a terrible death?
Hallo! who is talking in the depths of the haunted forest when the moon is looking calmly down? Who is silently gliding from shadowy tree to moonlight glade with ghastly face, robed in white, with a staring, steely eye? Hallo!
Who is speaking in a far-away voice to the quiet night? What is he saying? Who speaks? hallo!
“You are treading on dangerous ground; take care!”
“Take care!” whisper the forest echoes.
“Take care!”