Our Maroon was already crouched, close, in his
place of hiding. He beheld in silence and safety,
but with an awful beating at the heart, the whole of
the strange procession. He saw the women circling
the altar stone with wild contortions and a strange
unearthly song. He saw them, from several branches
of wood, draw forth the billets, with which they kindled
a flame upon the stone. The fire was drawn from
the vessel which had been supplied with fuel on the
voyage by the hand of the young damsel. She sat
apart, on a low projection of the wall, to which she
had been conducted, and but a few paces from the
cavity in which Lopez found retreat. She took no
part in the ceremony, though she seemed deeply interested
in its progress. At certain pauses in the
wild incantations, particularly when certain emphatic
sounds or words closed the chant, she clasped her

[figure description] Page 270.[end figure description]

hands aloft, and her groan was audible, as if in supplication.
The fire began to blaze suddenly above the
stone, and its strange gleams played in lively tints
upon the gloomy walls of the cavern. Then the circling
dance and the chorus were renewed. Then at
certain sounds the women paused, and at such moments,
the maiden rose, and, approaching the flame,
threw into it fragments of wood or gum with which
she had been supplied. At all such additions, the
flame blazed up more brightly, and the chant was
more wild and vigorous than ever. At length it
ceased; and in an instant, every woman crouched
down around the stone where she stood, except the
one who seemed to act as priestess. She did not join
in the chorus of the others, but in a low chant of
her own performed some separate office. She now
approached the maiden, and conducted her toward
the altar. At her words, the damsel bent over the
heads of the kneeling women separately, and her
tears fell fast as she murmured in their several ears.
She took from the necks of each her strands of pearl.
They themselves unbound them from their own tresses,
which now hung down mournfully, of great length,
from every shoulder. The pearls were collected by
the priestess and laid apart. Our Maroon, from
his place of watch, followed with keen eyes, and saw
where she laid them. The women now receded.
The girl embraced them each, with a deep sobbing,
and they responded with mingling sighs and songs,
while passing out of the chamber in which they left
her with the officiating woman. When their voices

[figure description] Page 271.[end figure description]

were heard only faintly from the sea-shore, where
they had now assembled, the maiden was conducted
to the altar-place by her matron-like companion.
Her mournful utterance announced some sadder ceremonial.
The girl answered her by a cry, and threw
herself at her feet before the altar. The woman knelt
upon one knee. The head of the maiden was supported
upon the other from which the long black hair
depended, half shrouding the drapery of the priestess.
Very tender were the few words which then passed
between the two. The girl clasped her hands together,
and her tearful eyes were full of the sweetest but saddest
resignation. The woman smoothed her tresses
out with her fingers, stooped and kissed affectionately
the lips of the child, and while everything betokened
nothing less than the truest sympathy, and the most
heartfelt and generous affection between them, what
was the horror of our Maroon—now deeply interested
in the event—to see the woman possess herself
of the broad knife of stone which lay on the foot of
the altar. Timid and feeble as he was of soul, his
fingers clutched his knife with a convulsive resolution,
which, in the case of a braver spirit, would have long
before declared itself in action!

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