A terrific flash of lightning at that moment almost blinded them. It was followed instantaneously by a clap of thunder which nearly rent the cabin in twain. Flower immediately seized her baby, with a face made ashen by fear, and looking apprehensively at windows and doors, she whispered: "The voodoo! Watch for her! She always comes in a thunder-storm!" At the same time the three old women, with Jake, and Flower’s black cook, old Eloise Lu, stumbled into the room, crying: "Foh de Lawd’s sake, Miss Flower, honey, let us in hyah! De Day of Judgment sho has come!" "Nonsense!" cried Carolina, with a sternness none of them had ever suspected her of possessing. "For shame, you Tempy and Rose Maud and Calla! Where is your new religion? Where is your understanding of the truth? Is God going to punish you for coming to Him as you just told me you had come? Oh, faithless disciples! Now see if _I_ am afraid of a little thunder and lightning!" They straightened up under her words, and, with rapidly clearing faces, they watched her go toward the open door. The rain was coming straight down with a terrific tropical downpour, and, as Carolina stepped suddenly to the open door, she saw the same figure she had seen before, in the act of leaving a little clump of pine-trees to come nearer to the cabin. The figure spied Carolina at the same time, and, lifting a hand, beckoned to the girl. Without a thought of fear, but with rather a wild questioning hope in her heart, Carolina, to the amazement of the cabin inmates, and later on no less to her own, stepped out into the pouring rain and ran toward the shelter of the trees. They all crowded into the doorway to see her go, and, when they recognized the other figure, they were speechless with awe. Miss Carolina had deliberately gone to meet the voodoo and lift the curse! Then she was indeed a chosen one of God! CHAPTER XXII. IN THE VOODOO’S CAVE As Carolina felt the rain drenching her to the skin, the thought came to her, "This is the first time in all my life that I ever was thoroughly wet with rain, yet to how many of the less favoured ones of earth this must be no unusual occurrence. How sheltered my life has been!" And the thought of God’s protection went with her as she approached the motionless figure under the pines. At first Carolina took the woman to be a quadroon, but, on a nearer view, she saw that none of the features was African. Rather the high cheekbones and sombre eyes suggested the Indian. The woman held out her hand, and, as Carolina yielded hers, the woman said, in a voice whose tones vibrated with a resemblance to Flower’s: "You must come with me. You will not be afraid. You are a Lee. I have been waiting a long, long time to get speech with you, but your wet clothes must be dried. Will you follow me?" "Willingly," said Carolina, gently. The woman did not smile, but her face lighted.