bide here and see what happens, for he'll grip us if we try to
go back. The moon's ower high.'

The procession continued as if to some slow music. I had
been in no fear of the adventure back there by our cave; but
now that I saw the thing from close at hand, my courage began
to ebb. There was something desperately uncanny about this
great negro, who had shed his clerical garments, and was now
practising some strange magic alone by the sea. I had no doubt
it was the black art, for there was that in the air and the scene
which spelled the unlawful. As we watched, the circles
stopped, and the man threw something on the fire. A thick
smoke rose of which we could feel the aromatic scent, and
when it was gone the flame burned with a silvery blueness like
moonlight. Still no sound came from the minister, but he took
something from his belt, and began to make odd markings in
the sand between the inner circle and the fire. As he turned, the
moon gleamed on the implement, and we saw it was a great knife.

We were now scared in real earnest. Here were we, three boys,
at night in a lonely place a few yards from a savage with a knife.
The adventure was far past my liking, and even the intrepid
Archie was having qualms, if I could judge from his set face.
As for Tam, his teeth were chattering like a threshing-mill.

Suddenly I felt something soft and warm on the rock at my
right hand. I felt again, and, lo! it was the man's clothes.
There were his boots and socks, his minister's coat and his
minister's hat.