to emerge, and I approached a little nearer. He did not seem at all aware of my proximity, but stood near the stern rail to stare most intently down at the water (there being no longer any land in view). Not knowing what to say to him, or if I ought to speak at all, I was silent for some minutes before inquiring, what it might be that he was so carefully regarding.
And here the sentinel’s attention abruptly returned to his charge, and he undertook to prevent our conversation, but I overrode him, repeating my question and adding to it, whether Toussaint was looking back toward the island of which he had lately been master, and whether he regretted it.
At this, Toussaint turned half toward me and looked at me with half a smile, but without immediately speaking. I suppose he must have gone a lengthy while without much benefit of human discourse. Still, there was a sort of slyness in that smile. His lips were full and heavy, his teeth long and yellow; he lacked an eyetooth on the left side. The jaw long and slung far forward, stretching and lowering the deep oval of his face. His nose was long also and typically flat, but his forehead was high and his eyes, with their yellowing whites, were large and expressive—his best feature. All in all, a most arresting ugliness.
He was smaller than I somehow had expected, standing no higher than my breastbone. His disproportionately long trunk was set on little bandy legs—undoubtedly he would appear to best advantage on horseback. Some grizzled hair appeared at his shirt’s neck, and the gray pigtail hanging from under the kerchief was fastened with a bit of frayed red ribbon. I would have put him in the middle fifties. He was narrow-hipped and distinctly thin, though not to the point of frailty—his arms were disproportionately thick and muscular.
He returned my looks, taking my measure also it may be, and then resumed his staring at the water.
“Guinée,” he said, but so softly I scarce caught the word at all.
“Africa?” I said, with some surprise.
Of course he was not looking in the right direction, but one would hardly expect him to be a master of geography, outside of the colony. He is himself a Creole and I believe this must have been the first time he had ever been to sea. I found that my gaze was drawn after his; he continued to inspect the surfaces of the ocean for some time before he spoke. The water had taken on a red metallic glimmer from the light of the setting sun.
“Guinée, on dit, se trouve en bas de l’eau.” Still Toussaint kept his eyes fixed on the water. They say that Africa is at the bottom of the ocean.
“But you are a Christian,” I said, for I was again surprised, though it was not the first time I had heard of this belief. One often finds the slavers complaining of it—how their new-bought slaves will fling themselves off the ships in droves, believing that they may pass beneath the ocean to regain their original homes in Africa.
Toussaint glanced up at me with that same sly smile. “Of course I am a Christian,” he said, “but I should like to see Africa all the same.”
Our colloquy could not continue past that point, for the dragoons quite brusquely led him away. Improbable as it is that anyone aboard should enter into conspiracy with such a one as he, his reputation for cunning is sufficient that his guard evidently has been ordered to permit that he converse with no one.
Unfortunate fellow, I should not suppose him likely ever to see Africa—not, at least, in this lifetime.
It was well past dark when I was relieved of my watch, and in groping along through the darkness below toward my own repose I must pass the cabin where Toussaint was held secure. Going along the passage, I heard a voice coming from behind the door, and (the sentinel having absented himself, perhaps to the jakes) I paused to listen. The occupant was reading in a loud sonorous voice, this passage from the end of Deuteronomy:
And Moses went up from the plains of Moab under the mountains of Nebo, to the top of Pisgah, that is over against Jericho. And the Lord showed him all the land of Gilead, unto Dan.
And all Naphtali, and the land of Ephraim, and Manasseh and all the land of Judah, unto the utmost sea.
And the
All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 1 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 2 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 3 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 4 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 5 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 6 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 7 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 8 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 9 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 10 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 11 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 12 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 13 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 14 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 15 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 16 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 17 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 18 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 19 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 20 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 21 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 22 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 23 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 24 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 25 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 26 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 27 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 28 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 29 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 30 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 31 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 32 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 33 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 34 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 35 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 36 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 37 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 38 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 39 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 40 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 41 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 42 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 43 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 44 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 45 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 46 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 47 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 48 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 49 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 50 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 51 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 52 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 53 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 54 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 55 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 56 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 57 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 58 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 59 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 60 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 61 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 62 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 63 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 64 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 65 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 66 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 67 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 68 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 69 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 70 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 71 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 72 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 73 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 74 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 75 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 76 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 77 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 78 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 79 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 80 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 81 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 82 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 83 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 84 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 85 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 86 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 87 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 88 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 89 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 90 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 91 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 92 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 93 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 94 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 95 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 96 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 97 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 98 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 99 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 100 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 101 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 102 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 103 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 104 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 105 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 106 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 107 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 108 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 109 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 110 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 111 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 112 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 113 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 114 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 115 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 116 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 117 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 118 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 119 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 120 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 121 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 122 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 123 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 124 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 125 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 126 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 127 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 128 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 129 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 130 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 131 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 132 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 133 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 134 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 135 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 136 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 137 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 138 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 139 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 140 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 141 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 142 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 143 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 144 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 145 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 146 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 147 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 148 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 149 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 150 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 151 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 152 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 153 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 154 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 155 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 156 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 157 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 158 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 159 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 160 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 161 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 162 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 163 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 164 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 165 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 166 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 167 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 168 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 169 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 170 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 171 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 172 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 173 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 174 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 175 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 176 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 177 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 178 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 179 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 180 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 181 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 182 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 183 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 184 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 185 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 186 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 187 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 188 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 189 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 190 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 191 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 192 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 193 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 194 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 195 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 196 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 197 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 198 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 199 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 200 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 201 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 202 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 203 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 204 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 205 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 206 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 207 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 208 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 209 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 210 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 211 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 212 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 213 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 214 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 215 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 216 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 217 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 218 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 219 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 220 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 221 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 222 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 223 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 224 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 225 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 226 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 227 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 228 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 229 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 230 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 231 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 232 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 233 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 234 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 235 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 236 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 237 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 238 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 239 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 240 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 241 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 242 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 243 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 244 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 245 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 246 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 247 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 248 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 249 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 250 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 251 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 252 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 253 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 254 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 255 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 256 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 257 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 258 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 259 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 260 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 261 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 262 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 263 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 264 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 265 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 266 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 267 All Souls' Rising - By Madison Smartt Bell - Page 268