y they
done it. I arsked a deck steward 'o she was and 'e told me. 'Er old
man's a bleedin' millionaire, a bloody Capitalist! 'E's got enuf bloody
gold to sink this bleedin' ship! 'E makes arf the bloody steel in the
world! 'E owns this bloody boat! And you and me, comrades, we're 'is
slaves! And the skipper and mates and engineers, they're 'is slaves!
And she's 'is bloody daughter and we're all 'er slaves, too! And she
gives 'er orders as 'ow she wants to see the bloody animals below decks
and down they takes 'er! [_There is a roar of rage from all sides._]

YANK--[_Blinking at him bewilderedly._] Say! Wait a moment! Is all dat
straight goods?

LONG--Straight as string! The bleedin' steward as waits on 'em, 'e told
me about 'er. And what're we goin' ter do, I arsks yer? 'Ave we got ter
swaller 'er hinsults like dogs? It ain't in the ship's articles. I tell
yer we got a case. We kin go ter law--

YANK--[_With abysmal contempt._] Hell! Law!

ALL--[_Repeating the word after him as one with cynical mockery._] Law!
[_The word has a brazen metallic quality as if their throats were
phonograph horns. It is followed by a chorus of hard, barking
laughter._]

LONG--[_Feeling the ground slipping from under his feet--desperately._]
As voters and citizens we kin force the bloody governments--

YANK--[_With abysmal contempt._] Hell! Governments!

ALL--[_Repeating the word after him as one with cynical mockery._]
Governments! [_The word has a brazen metallic quality as if their
throats were phonograph horns. It is followed by a chorus of hard,
barking laughter._]

LONG--[_Hysterically._] We're free and equal in the sight of God--

YANK--[_With abysmal contempt._] Hell! God!

ALL--[_Repeating the word after him as one with cynical mockery._] God!
[_The word has a brazen metallic quality as if their throats were
phonograph horns. It is followed by a chorus of hard, barking
laughter._]

YANK--[_Witheringly._] Aw, join de Salvation Army!

ALL--Sit down! Shut up! Damn fool! Sea-lawyer! [_Long slinks back out
of sight._]

PADDY--[_Continuing the trend of his thoughts as if he had never been
interrupted--bitterly._] And there she was standing behind us, and the
Second pointing at us like a man you'd hear in a circus would be
saying: In this cage is a queerer kind of baboon than ever you'd find
in darkest Africy. We roast them in their own sweat--and be damned if
you won't hear some of thim saying they like it! [_He glances