The black slaves had worked well the day before; and, having satisfied their masters, had received plenty of food and drink.
Their white companions in misery saw them eating their breakfast before being ordered to the field.
“Jim,” said Sailor Bill, “I’ve ’alf a mind to give in. I must ’ave somethin’ to heat an’ drink. I’m starvin’ all over.”
“Don’t think of it, William,” said his brother. “Unless you wish to remain for years in slavery as I have done, you must not yield. Our only hope of obtaining liberty is to give the Arabs but one chance of making anything by us, the chance of selling us to our countrymen. They won’t let us die, don’t think it! We are worth too much for that. They will try to make us work if they can; but we are fools if we let them succeed.”
Again being driven to the field, another attempt was made by the Arabs to get some service out of them.
“We can do nothing now,” said Jim to the old sheik: “we are dying with hunger and thirst. Our life has always been on the sea, and we can do nothing on land.”
“There is plenty of food for those who earn it,” rejoined the sheik; “and we cannot give those food who do not deserve it.”
“Then give us some water.”
“Allah forbid! We are not your servants to carry water for you.”
All attempts to make the white slaves perform their task having failed, they were ordered to sit down in the hot sun, where they were tantalised with the sight of the food and water of which they were not permitted to taste.