“But what about Andy?”
“I’ll try to make him come down here, for it isn’t safe to remain where those people, whoever they are, may find an opportunity of getting hold of him.”
After giving these orders, Jenkins swarmed up the rope hand over hand, and, without so much as an “adieu,” disappeared from the view of those in the shaft.
The three waited in almost perfect silence during fully half-an-hour, and then, as a slight rustling was heard from above, the cook’s head could be seen at the edge of the excavation.
His black face was literally gray with terror, and one would have said his eyeballs protruded very much more than usual as he asked, in a hoarse whisper:
“Am it er fac’ dat you chillun reckon on stayin’ hyar wid de whole crowd ob voudoos so nigh at han’?”
“What else can we do?”
“Come out an’ hide whar dere’s a chance to gib de debbils de slip ef dey begin’ cuttin’ up shines.”