“Don’t get up too much of it, Mr Officer,” said the American, deliberately taking out a very large black cigar from his breast pocket and thrusting it between his lips, before dropping into another cane chair and clapping his hands; “this here ain’t a theayter, and you ain’t acting. That there’s very pretty about his Britannic Majesty’s sloop of war. Look here, sirr; bother his Britannic Majesty!”
At these last words a thrill of rage seemed to run through the line of sailors, and they stood waiting for an order which did not come, for the lieutenant only smiled at the American’s insolent bravado and waited before interfering with him to hear what more he had to say.
“It sounds very lively and high faluting about your sweeping the high seas of miscreants, as you call ’em, and all that other stuff as you keep on hunting up with African chiefs and such like; but what’s that got to do with an invalid English gentleman as invests his money in sugar, coffee and cotton, and what has it to do with his trusted Aymurrican experienced planter as looks after his black farm hands, eh?”
“Only this, sir,” said the lieutenant, “that if he or they are proved to be mixed up with this horrible nefarious trade they will be answerable to one of the British courts of law, their mart will be destroyed, and their vessels engaged in the trade will become prizes to his Majesty’s cruiser.”
“Say, mister,” said the American coolly—and then to a shivering black who had come out of the house bearing a coarse yellow wax candle which he tried to shelter between his hands, evidently in dread lest it should become extinct,—“Take care, you black cuss, or you’ll have it out!”
Murray heard the poor fellow utter a sigh of relief, but he did not even wince, only stood motionless as his tyrant took the wax taper, held it to his cigar till it burned well, and then extinguished it by placing the little wick against the black man’s bare arm, before pitching the wax to the man, who caught it and hurried away.
“Say, mister,” said the overseer again, “don’t you think you fire off a little too much of your Britannic Majesty and your King George fireworks?”
“Go on, sir,” said the lieutenant, biting his lip. “Yes, that’s what I’m going to do,” continued the man coolly. “What’s all this here got to do with a free-born Aymurrican citizen?”
“Only this, sir, that your so-called American citizen will have no protection from a great country for such a nefarious transaction.”
“There you go again, mister! That’s I don’t know how many times you’ve let off that there prize word of yours, neefarious. There, don’t bluff, sir; to use your old country word, them as plays at bowls must expeck rubbers. No, no, no, don’t you begin ordering your fellows to meddle with me, because I’m rather nasty when I’m interfered with, ’sides which I’ve got some one inside the house to take care of me if it was wanted, as you can see for yourself—twenty of ’em, boys who can use a rifle; and that’s what your chaps can’t do.”