“Yes, massa. Tullus find um in niggah hut shut up, and take me dah.”
“Then that Huggins has not killed him?”
“No, massa; shut um up. Say um mad man. Berry bad. Get more bad ebbery day till Tullus find um. Black slabe woman ’top wiv him. Massa Huggins say kill her if she let um go.”
“Poor creature!” said Murray, wrinkling up his brow.
“Yes, sah; berry poor creature, sah. Caesar berry sorry. Massa Allen good massa, and Caesar lub um.”
“But where is he now? Not dead?”
“Yes, massa been die berry much all um time. Couldn’t quite go die till poor Caesar come, and den he shake hand. Say ‘Good-bye, Caesar, lad. Tell Massa Murray Frank. Tell um t’ink de bes’ ob a poor weak man.’”
“Mr Allen said that, Caesar?” said Murray.
“Yes, sah. Caesar cry bofe eyes. Tullus cry and slabe woman cry when we put um in de groun’ fas’ asleep. Everybody lub poor Massa Allen, sah. Gone dead. Say go to sleep happy now. No more slabe trade now. No more poor niggah leap overboard now Massa Murray Frank and Bri’sh sailor come.”
“Well, Mr Murray,” said the captain, about an hour later, “I hope you are ready to return to your duties.”