138 FLORIDA DAYS.

animal, quite without meaning, but containing
a thrill of power in the one vibrating note at
which it is pitched. "An' Jesus," he says, he
go walking' up Calvary (O-o-o-o my Jesus!) an'
what you got. on yo' shoulder, Jesus? I's got
a cross on my shoulder, O-o-o-o!" And a
hundred voices moan with him, Pore Jesus! "
"An' a collud man named Simon Cyrene -
Simon Cyrene he take de cross, and carry de
cross, Jesus' cross-" "O pore Jesus! comes
the murmur again; the soft stamp of the bare
feet rises to a muffled roar at the sound of that
name, and from every side of the dusky room
come shrill moans, and cries of "My Jesus!"
"Captain Jesus! "Doctor Jesus! Save me,
Jesus!" The preacher grows so intoxicated by
the excitement about him that he is evidently
unaware of what he does. He puts the open
Bible across his bent shoulders and bowed
head, to typify the bearing of the cross; his
streaming eyes look up from under its shadow
as he staggers to and fro upon the shaking plat-
form. There are cries of "I 'se happy! I 'se
happy!'' wild eyes fix and roll upward; a