In order to make sure that he had not been mistaken, he approached the place.
It was a corner where a quantity of skins had been thrown, and which it had not been convenient for him to remove, when he left the cavern.
Thinking that one of these skins might be of service to him in the life he would be obliged to live for some time, he commenced sorting them over, for the purpose of finding one that would answer his purpose, when a figure suddenly sprang up from the pile.
It would be hard to tell which of the two was the more frightened.
"Dat you, massa," at length exclaimed the familiar voice of Black Bill. "I tought it was de debil come back agin to carry me off."
"What, is that you, Bill?" said Flint, greatly relieved, and glad to find some one who could explain the strange disappearance of Hellena and Lightfoot.
"Where are the rest, Bill?" he asked; "where's the white girl and the Indian woman?"
"Debble carry dim off," said Bill.
"What do you mean, you black fool?" said his master; "if you don't tell me where they've gone, I'll break your black skull for you."
"Don't know where dar gone," said Bill, tremblingly, "Only know dat de debble take dem away."