The coins were black as ink; he picked up a handful and went on.

Hitherto Felix had accepted all that he saw as something so strange as to be unaccountable.

During his advance into this region in the canoe he had in fact become slowly stupefied by the poisonous vapour he had inhaled.

His mind was partly in abeyance; it acted, but only after some time had elapsed.

He now at last began to realize his position; the finding of the heap of blackened money touched a chord of memory.