“Suddenly, without any warning, we turned an acute corner in the path; and I saw before me some few houses, and a crowd of people standing together round something, in a clearing of the forest--they had with them two or three little lamps. At the same moment that I turned the corner and saw this, I heard a shriek, the most horrible--the shriek of a woman in the agony which is mortal. My hair raised itself on my head--my Krooboys stopped and muttered to themselves. I ask of them the cause, and they tell me of some secret brotherhood of the people, who sacrifice each year a woman. I draw my revolver: I cry to them--‘_En avant--En avant_;’ and we all run fast to the crowd. Then, pst, pst, out go all the lights; I hear the rustling of many feet; all again is black darkness. “We reach the square of the village: there is nothing--nobody to be seen. Nobody? Ah! _Mon Dieu_, somebody. I nearly fall over some object which strikes my feet. I look down to see what it may be, and I see a corpse. Yes, a corpse of a young girl, _une pucelle_; still warm. I look for the cause of death, and I find, horrible to speak of, on the left breast a dreadful wound, a cavity--the flesh tom away. _Mon ami_, the heart of that poor girl had been torn out. Ah! so young, such beautiful limbs--It is the work of the accursed fraternity.” “Well,” said I, when he had arrived at this point, “what did you do?” “Do? What could I do? Nothing at all. There was not one person left in the village--I searched each house: all empty. Could I go and hunt in the dark forest for the murderers? No--I went on my way and arrived at my factory.” “I suppose you told the Commandant of Sherbro about this?” I inquired. “Yes, I told him; but he said he could do nothing, and it was not advisable to make trouble. It is many years ago now, and Chief Manin had just signed a treaty with your Government. They did not wish to have any more palaver.”