“Then don’t talk that way,” said Don, hoarsely. “It is too horrible.”
“So it is, dear lad; but it seems to me that they only want to keep us now for slaves or servants. They’re not going to, eh?”
“No, Jem,” said Don looking at the great fence.
“Yes, that’s just what I think, my lad. Posts like this may keep in Noo Zealanders, but they won’t keep in two English chaps, will they?”
“Do you think if we got away in the woods, we could manage to live, Jem?”
“I think, my lad, if we stop in this here pah, we can’t manage to at all, so we’ll try that other way as soon as we can.”
“Do you think it will be cowardly to leave these poor creatures in the power of the enemy?”
“If we could do ’em any good by staying it would be cowardly; but we can’t do ’em any good. So as soon as you like, as I said before, I’m ready for a start. Why, there’s fern roots, and fruit, and rivers, and the sea— Oh, yes, Mas’ Don, I think we could pick up a living somehow, till we reached a settlement, or friendly tribe.”
Night began to fall soon afterward, and half-a-dozen women came in, bearing more bowls of the gruel-like food, and a couple of baskets of potatoes, which were set down near the prisoners, along with a couple of great vessels of water.
“Didn’t think I wanted any more yet,” said Jem, after eating heartily, for there was an abundance. “Go on, Mas Don; ’tarn’t so bad when you’re used to it, but a shovel full of our best West Indy plarntation sugar wouldn’t ha’ done it any harm to my thinking.”