Colin, Bill, and the Krooman, were each set astride of a donkey, and then made fast by having their feet tied under the animal’s belly.
For a small sum the merchants then engaged two of the bystanders to accompany them, and guard the white slaves to the frontier of the Moorish empire—a distance of two days’ journey.
Just as the party was about to move away from the spot, one of the merchants, addressing himself to Jim, made the following observations:—
“Tell the young man—the nephew of the merchant ‘For God’s sake bias’—that since we have started for Swearah, in the belief that his story is true, we shall now take him there, whether he be willing or not; and if he has in any way deceived us, he shall surely die.”
“He has not deceived you,” said Jim; “take him and the rest of us there, and you will certainly be rewarded.”
“Then, why do they not go willingly?”
“Because they do not wish to leave their friends.”
“Ungrateful dogs! cannot they be thankful for their own good fortune? Do they take us for slaves, that we should do their will?”
While this conversation was going go, the other two merchants had headed their animals to the road; and in a minute after, Harry Blount and Colin had parted with their old messmate Terence, without a hope of ever seeing him again.