“Have you ever taken a hand in this voudoo business?” Jenkins asked, sternly, as he watched the old man’s face closely.
“Nebber! Nebber! I’se done gone bin in a good many scrapes, but nuffin like dat. Six or ten years ago, when I was young an’ flighty like, annuder colored man an’ me runned away frum a brig what we’d shipped in, an’ hid hyar. De voudoos cum mighty nigh killin’ us erfore we got took off, an’ dat’s how I’se sich a pertic’lar ’quaintance wid de island.”
“Then you have seen these fellows before?”
“Ef dey ain’ jes’ de same, dey looks a drefful sight like em.”
“And you knew where the cave was before I said anything about it?”
“’Deed I didn’t, fo’ a fac’. I nebber seen it; but I reckon it was ’cause we kept mighty near de beach all de time watchin’ fur a vessel.”
“What did you find to eat?”
“Dere’s plenty ob oysters ’roun’ de shore, an’ it’s a prime place fur turtles. Dere ain’t no danger ob goin’ hungry ef de Day Dream don’ come back fur a week.”
“I’m glad to hear that, for the yacht may be away some time—I don’t see any signs that this wind will haul around very soon—and the food supply promises to become serious to us. If you are rested, let’s push on; the boys may grow frightened if we stay too long.”
Andy acted upon this suggestion at once, and the two did not halt again until they had reached a point from which a view of the entrance to the cave could be had, while they were screened by the foliage.