“I think it was on that very vessel,” said Max musingly; “but possibly I might be mistaken; there were other prison-ships, but the Old Jersey was the worst. But I’m certain it was American prisoners in the hands of the British near New York. A piece of wanton cruelty the jailors were guilty of, was bringing in a kettle of boiling soup, or mush, and setting it down before those starving prisoners of war, with never a spoon or anything to dip it up with.”
“Yes,” said Lulu, “and another time they marched some prisoners for four days without a mouthful to eat, then rolled out barrels of salt pork for them to eat raw. And another time, when they were exchanging prisoners with the Americans, they put pounded glass into the last meal’s victuals they gave to the American soldiers before they let them go.”
“Well, if they did that ’twas mean and wicked enough,” admitted Albert. “But don’t you think the world has grown a little better since those days, and that then other nations were quite as cruel, if not more so? always excepting the Americans, of course,” he added, with a mischievous twinkle in his eye.
“I believe that’s so,” admitted Max.
“And some Americans—the Tories—were worse than the British,” said Lulu; “some of their deeds were perfectly dreadful, shockingly wicked and cruel! beside, it was so contemptible in them to turn against their own country and ill-use—even to robbing and murdering—their own countrymen.”
“Well, yes,” said Albert, “but then, we must remember that the way they looked at it ’twas only being loyal to their king.”
“The English king, you mean,” she retorted. “But most of them—the Tories—were low, mean, wicked fellows that really cared for neither king nor country, and were only glad of an excuse to rob wherever they could.”
“Then please don’t blame my country with what they did,” said Albert.
“No; it isn’t worth while; she has sins enough of her own to answer for,” returned Lulu demurely. “And then she’s so little, poor thing!”
Albert looked nettled at that. “The sun never sets on the British Empire,” he said, straightening himself proudly. “And, big as your country is, I don’t believe either her army or navy can compare with ours.”