Sentence:  At each spontaneous tribute rendered by the wayfarers to this black <WSD>pagod</WSD> of a fellow—the tribute of a pause and stare, and less frequent an exclamation,—the motley retinue showed that they took that sort of pride in the evoker of it which the Assyrian priests doubtless showed for their grand sculptured Bull when the faithful prostrated themselves. 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  (pagoda) (idol)