Do you know, I believe those devilish men sometimes offer human sacrifices to this satanic fetish, when there is a drought or anything of that sort." "I can quite believe it," I answered, "but as they will scarcely remove their god and with it their own livelihood and authority, I am afraid that as we don't want to be sacrificed, there is nothing to be done." At this moment I was called away.

As I went I heard Bastin muttering something about martyrs, but paid no attention.

Little did I guess what was going on in his pious but obstinate mind.

In effect it was this--that if no one else would remove that idol he was quite ready to do it himself.
However, he was very cunning over that business, almost Jesuitical indeed.

Not one word did he breathe of his dark plans to me, and still less to Bickley.