Page:Rowland--In the shadow.djvu/274

 of the congregation there of the rice-field laborers, a class of negroes lower than those found in the cotton lands, many of the latter of whom were unable to live in the rice belt owing to the fever. It is possible that these rice-field negroes were originally brought from the fever coast and were the nearest that could be got to malarial immunes; as a matter of fact many always have and no doubt always will die of the fever.

Suddenly Leyden raised his hand warningly. "Listen! ah, dogs,—and riders!"

Giles reined in and listened. "I do not hear anything," he observed.

"Nor I, this moment … there! Did you not hear it when the wind freshened?"

Giles shook his head. "I can't say that I did. Hello, there's a bell!"

Leyden laughed. "Or a bloodhound," he added. "Not a pleasant sound in this country and tinged with unhallowed memories. They are coming this way. Let us drive on."

Again, this time above the gritting of their wheels through the deep sand, there boomed out a deep, knell-like note. The sound was new to Giles; the bay of a foxhound was music in his ears. This also was music, but of a sort which made the hair bristle at the nape of his neck. Their horse pricked up his ears and snorted.

"They are not on the road," said Leyden, "they are going through the woods; let us wait. Perhaps you had better stand by the horse's head; he seems inclined to turn and bolt."

Giles stepped down and took the animal by the bridle. 264