All the repulsive-looking crowd evidently understood that they were in no immediate danger of being hunted out by those interested in the prisoners, for they moved with the utmost deliberation.
“The scoundrels know our shipmates can’t get here to-day, and are going to make the most out of the performance, whatever it may be,” Jenkins said, angrily, as two of the men began to lash him securely to a tree in such a manner that he could do no more than turn his head from side to side.
The boys were fastened in the same fashion, and so near together that it was possible for them to hear each other when speaking in a low tone of voice.
After the prisoners were thus disposed of, the blacks began to prepare breakfast by roasting over a bed of coals fifteen or twenty small animals, which resembled rabbits, the three leaders retiring to the depths of the thicket as if for consultation while this work was being done.
The cooks had not even taken the trouble to dress the game; but the odor of the roasting flesh was so appetizing, and the prisoners were so hungry, that all three waited with the liveliest impatience for the meal to be made ready.
“I’m certain I can eat a whole rabbit; but I don’t suppose we’ll be allowed to have as much as we want,” Nelse said, watching the operations eagerly.
“We had better not count on regularly filling ourselves up,” Jenkins replied, grimly, as a very unpleasant suspicion began to creep into his mind.
When the feast was prepared, the old men were summoned, the remainder of the party standing at a respectful distance until they had satisfied their hunger, and then all hands set about devouring the food in a literally savage fashion.
Holding it in their hands and smearing themselves with fat and blood, until their black faces looked even more hideous than before, the men gorged themselves, crunching the smaller bones as dogs would have done, and only when the last morsel had disappeared did they cease.
Meanwhile, the prisoners could do no more than gaze at the revolting spectacle, which, fortunately, partially caused them to forget their hunger, and not a word was spoken until Jenkins, seeing that his companions were rapidly giving way to despair, tried to arouse them.