Obcah in the West Indies. 289
Leon affected not to know the contents of what he was carrying, and made charges implicating St. Hill, the youngest of the three prisoners. St. Hill was in conse- quence subsequently arrested upon the same charge, and at the preliminary inquiry before the magistrate he gave the whole thing away by stating how the boy had come by his death at their hands. This statement I give in his own words :
"On Thursday (29th September) about two o'clock p.m., I was at my house ready to dig manioc when Montoute arrived with the child. He told me St. Luce asked me to come to him, as he wished to speak with me. I remained talking awhile with Mon- toute. I reached St. Luce's house at the same time as Montoute did. When I got there St. Luce told me he wanted me to help him dig a hole. We remained there until sunset. After sunset Montoute said to St. Luce to look for a piece of rope for him. St. Luce went to his mill-house and brought a long mahaut rope, from which Montoute cut with a knife the length he required. Whilst we were there in the afternoon St. Luce, in going to fetch canes for us to eat, had prepared the place where he wanted the hole dug. When it was time St. Luce told me to come and dig the hole. We did so. When we returned to the house we found Montoute and the boy asleep. St. Luce awoke Montoute and asked him if it was not yet time. Montoute said it was time — we must wake up the boy. Montoute awoke the boy. St. Luce asked Montoute if he had read the book again. Montoute said, 'Since I read it this morning I do not require to read it again.' Montoute said, 'Let's see what we have to do.' Mon- toute took the rope and made a knot on it. He said to me, ' Your hand is rougher, tighten it.' St. Luce took hold of the boy by both feet. Montoute closed the boy's mouth. We strangled him. We tied him up and took him to the place where we dug the hole. When we got there Montoute took from his pocket a large knife. He held the knife out to me and asked me to cut the boy open. I refused. He then told St. Luce to open the boy. St. Luce opened him. Montoute gave the knife to St. Luce. The cut was not wide enough. Montoute tried to get his
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