For fear that the light of the fire would reveal him if he ventured into the open space, he made his way toward the village through the underbrush, always keeping near enough to the edge to see the fire.
He had come within a few rods of the fire and could not have gone much further without entering the village itself, when the singing ceased.
The men who had been circling around the fire gathered in a group at one side.
From one of the huts a savage, who was evidently their king, came out and began to speak in a loud voice.
A moment later three or four others brought from another hut a man whose hands were bound behind his back.
They made this man kneel before the king. The latter then continued his speech, which the others interrupted occasionally with loud shouts.
At the end of the speech, all except the man who was kneeling waved spears and clubs in the air.
Trim was very much interested. As yet he had no idea of the meaning of this ceremony, but he had not long to wait before it was horribly clear.
After the spears and clubs had been waved and the men had shouted several times, the king stepped back a few paces.