But the savages, as if entranced, seemed to take no heed of all these earthly things.

They lay grovelling in the mud before some unseen power; and beating their tom-toms in unison, with barbaric concord, they cried aloud once more as Felix appeared, in a weird litany that overtopped the tumultuous noise of the tempest, "Oh, Storm-God, hear us! Oh, great spirit, deliver us! King of the Rain and Queen of the Clouds, befriend us! Be angry no more! Hide your wrath from your people! Take away your hurricane, and we will bring you many gifts.
Eat no longer of the storm-apple--the seed of the wind--and we will feed you with yam and turtle, and much choice bread-fruit.

Great king, we are yours; you shall choose which you will of our children for your meat and drink; you shall sup on our blood.

But take your storm away; do not utterly drown and submerge our island!" As they spoke they crawled nearer and nearer, with gliding serpentine motion, till their heads almost touched the white line of coral.

But not a man of them all went one inch beyond it.