New Nick Carter Weekly #24 — page 19: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

-_ > NEW NICK CARTER WEEKLY. 17 fered those were not lighted, but in) handle the bird, for as calmly as if he front of the block there was a little fire were slicing bread: he held the hen upon burning. — the block and severed its head with a ~ It consisted of only a few chips of wood | single blow. eink it burned slowly, for there was no | Atthis all the darkies in the room pose Sve odd out the smoke and the | ducked their heads several times and ‘muttered in their peculiar jargon. Sq latte “upon the ‘ground at one end The voodoo talked rapidly all the time, i the cellar” were half a dozen silent ; 1 making strange gestures held the hen (GarK Two of them we le oaks the fire’in such a way that a few PES “hey stared hard at the voodoo and drops of blood fell upon the flames. i gave curious glances at Trim, but inade| Then he tossed the body to the ground no movement. ‘and stooped close over the fire until it aie 5 O ver in another corner sat a very old|seemed to Trim as if his eyes would be artkey who made it his business from | blinded by the smoke and heat. Pin 1e to time to put fresh chips upon the} He had stopped his talking, the woman little fire. Thad ceased her mumbling song, and all There was a covered basket by his side;| the darkies in the room now squatted for- ‘above his head was a shelf on which was | ward with their brows upon the dirt. a large hatchet and a number of long; They remained thus for a long time, knives. ‘silent and motionless, save as their bodies = mit: me © people are our clients, oS weg ‘quivered now and again with the strain on arked | the woman in a low tone, ‘‘and of their uncomfortable positions and the ‘ye ae = fist take your place with them and excitement of what, to them, was an | await: your turn.”? ‘awful ceremony. ot 1€ vocdoo having arrived in the cellar} ‘*Whatan outrageous humbug this is,” d no further attention to Trim. ‘thought Trim; ‘‘he is pretending to read "Stooge Over the little fire he picked /|the future in the smoke of that fire, and ) apa burning stick and <a the candles | pretty soon he will persuade these poor esi " wre mopping block. |ignorant people that he knows their fates. d the ‘““They’ve probably given him the last lla st 1 tering what sort of dimes and nickels they possess orde Py aah vive ee dollars. Fa: a beet of candles t the voodoo tibet air. I wonder if I’ve got to suffo- 1 beside the block. aod spoke rapidly cate here until he has told all the rest of | them what he doesn’t know.’? ee erect for nearly aminute. — ¥ 4 the = blacks looked at him as if they} Presently the voodoo stood up suddenly € spe 1 | }and dre a long breath. time, but cipached on the ground near;upon the chopping-block so that it sti c ck - Hre and kept up w mumbling | there. wee Was § sometimes like a dismal soMs| At this signal the darkies sat U1 sometimes Tike the whining of a) looked at the voodoo xpos = _ The fates are mercile rd Mi At the end of his- speech the vood dette i the old darkey in tk > at one wang to his feet and | it will come by viol. gat the bas block, then he; ‘‘By the stab of ok the hatchet from the | Trim sarcastically. = was <<a S22 Msi = ” rett id he = | took a Hive | piste ] an aa eee hee Then he raised the “Wotan “did no translating this|the hatchet and brought it hard down A = ” — as > : = : é ait | ; 7 , ad se 4 a sf J ¥ - ie Ey + e corner, ‘tones sddgonekeis 2 "Trim, he e r ne: | er Pere . ; . r ‘ 7 ‘ ft =: é oy. . Ls | | Lae _ : ‘ “> fe 4 gu ¥: ne i i4 ‘ | Z we | i * 7 i = ro ¥ »