“Well, mounseer, there is good and there is bad among ’em, of that there’s no doubt,” observed Reuben, taking his quid out of his mouth, and looking the young Frenchman in the face; “but do ye see I’d rather not try lest we should fall among the bad, and there’s a precious lot on ’em.”
Notwithstanding these doubts Devereux continued his course for Dominica. As the sun rose higher in the sky, the heat became greater and greater, till it was almost insupportable. A sail spread over the boat afforded some shelter from its rays, but they pierced through it as easily as a mosquito’s sting does through a kid glove, till the air under it became even more stifling than that above.
All the time in turns they continued to row on—night and day there was to be no cessation. Reversing the usual order, they longed for the night, when the air would be cooler, and their heads would escape the frying process going on while the sun was above them.
“Och, but this is hot,” cried O’Grady for the hundredth time. “If this goes on much longer, we’ll all be turned into real black ebony niggers, and the Christians on shore will be after putting us to work at the sugar-canes, and be swearing we’ve just come straight across from Africa. As to our tongues, there’ll be no safety for us through them, and they’ll swear we’ve made off with the uniforms from some ship of war or other, and perhaps be tricing us up as thieves and murderers. Did you ever hear tell of the Irishman—a sweet countryman of mine,—who once came out from the Emerald Isle to these parts—to Demerara, I believe? As soon as the ship which brought him entered the harbour, she was boarded by a boat full of niggers.
“‘Will yer honour have your duds carried ashore now?’ asks one, stepping up to him. ‘It’s myself will see ye all comfortable in a jiffy, if ye’ll trust me, at Mother Flannigan’s.’
“My countryman looked at him very hard.
“‘What’s your name now?’ he asks with some trepidation.
“‘Pat O’Dwyer, yer honour,’ says the nigger.
“‘Pat, how long have ye been here?’ asks my countryman, solemnly.
“‘Faith, about two years, yer honour,’ says the nigger.