THE CAW CAW SWAMP
the organization by which its great wheels were made to turn—all brought the color to her cheeks, quickened her breathing.
For many minutes Virginia stood, deep in these reflections. Had she been less abstracted she might have noticed the canine symptoms of disquiet proceeding from the hound crouched at her feet.
A deep growl called back her straying fancies; a roar from the dog as he sprang bristling to his feet startled the girl to the point of syncope and, turning in terror, she saw a strange and savage spectacle.
Behind her stood a colossus, a black; half naked, bare of head and feet. His eyes were bloodshot, bulging, and rolled toward her wildly. Such clothes as he wore hung from him in rags, the arms bare; behind him was a background of lustrous holly.
He stared at her in a wild-eyed silence. For a full moment Virginia was held rigid, fascinated as a bird who raises its head above the rim of the nest to find it almost touching the cold nose of a snake. She could not move; could not scream; caught her breath with an effort. The dog had sprung away, cowardly, bristling, snarling, but fearing to defend its mistress.
Some quality in the sinister figure called back Virginia's panic-fled senses. She looked, seeingly, understandingly, and the wonder of the thing struck away her palsy of fear.
"Dessalines!" she gasped. "Dessalines!"
The great head fell slightly forward, the thick fingers twitched; she saw the thick lips move spasmodically.
"Dessalines!" repeated Virginia, more loudly this time.
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