I feel certain that, up to the moment when their future plans had been fully discussed and agreed upon, not one of that reckless crew had given thought to the situation of the blacks. Had these human beings been so many head of cattle, they could not have entered less into the calculations that had been made; for they were not considered at all. Not one drop of water had been apportioned to their use. No suggestion of such a thing had been afforded—it would have been ridiculed as preposterous.
It was only after everything had been settled, that mention was made of them. Then a rough fellow cried out, in a tone of mock surprise, that smacked of a disgusting levity:—
“Thunder an’ ’oun’s! what’s to be done with the niggers!”
“Ay, ay,” shouted several, in a breath; “what is to be done with ’em? There’s no water for them—that’s sartin.”
“Why, what can be done?” responded an inhuman monster. “Chuck ’em overboard!”
“Dunder an’ blitz!” exclaimed a ferocious German, who appeared pleased with the idea; “dhat is de besht blan—wees not can do petter dhan to glear ’em out from de sheep.”
“Pe Gar!” cried the Frenchman, Le Gros, “it be von great big drown—von grand splash in ze vater—Sacr-r-r-é!”
I cannot describe the feelings I had in listening to this conversation. These men were actually serious, and yet jesting. It is almost too horrid to be credible, and yet it is true!
But they were serious—I knew they were—and I expected every minute to hear that this horrible suggestion was adopted, and that the blacks were to be thrown overboard!
But the villains were not unanimous; and for a length of time they continued to discuss the question in the same half-serious, half-jocular way. It was awful to listen to that inhuman debate!