“Why shouldn’t we go with you?” the mate asked.
“Kase dere’s no tellin’ how de charm’s gwine ter work fur all han’s, an’ de res’ ob de crowd had better stay hyar till de ole man gits back.”
“The boys can take care of themselves for a while, and I’ll keep you company,” Jenkins said, decidedly. “We can’t afford to run the chance of an accident just now.”
Andy did not fancy being obliged to take a protector with him; but the mate was determined to share all the danger, and the two plunged into the thicket, after impressing upon Gil and Nelse the necessity of remaining hidden during their absence.
When the mate and cook started out to ascertain the whereabouts of the natives, the former carried the revolver, and the latter had strapped to his back the bundle of signal rockets.
At the time their only idea was to learn what the blacks were doing, and to that end Andy led the way back toward the cave, circling around in such a manner as would permit an approach from the south.
After traveling at a rapid pace for twenty minutes or more, the cook came to a halt, exclaiming as he did so:
“Dere’s no use tuckerin’ our legs all out at de start, kase dere’s plenty ob time.”
“How is it that you know this island so well? You move around as if you had always lived here.”
Andy tried to evade the question by speaking of the weather and the possibility that the yacht could approach the northern coast by the following morning; but Jenkins insisted on an answer, and finally the old fellow said:
“I mought jes’ as well tell de trufe; but I don’ hanker after habin’ de capt’in know erbout it.”
“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?”