y ripe for action for the
following reasons:

"Labor circles here are just now very bitter toward the city government
because of its course toward Negro roustabouts. The white men in charge
of the boats that ply the river, fed their Negro hands poorly and made
the whole crew eat with spoons out of one pan. They were afforded no
sleeping accommodations, being forced to sleep on the bare floor. If a
piece of freight was accidentally dropped overboard the Negro who did it
was forced to jump into the water after it or be clubbed to death. Some
roustabouts who were forced to jump overboard to recover freight lost
their lives. These things have influenced the Negroes to abhor
roustabout work. But the police force, in the interest of the boatmen,
pounced down upon the Negroes and forced them to do the work, and this
course is practically urged by one of our leading daily newspapers. In
this condition of affairs, the laboring Negro sees a sign of a return to
the conditions of slavery, and he is alarmed.

"If in a city of light such as is Almaville this spirit obtains, it
won't be long, they feel, before the Negro laborers of the South will be
firmly in the grasp of a new form of slavery. They are also alarmed at
the clamor of leading newspapers for a vagrancy law which will be
invoked in times when the Negroes refrain from labor in the hope of
advancing their pay. The presence in our ranks of the labor element
representing the Negro masses will give striking evidence of the effect
things are having upon all classes of Negroes, welding them together.

"Now, Ensal, you have my whole story. This is to be the most sublime
affair in the whole history of our race. Honor yourself, my friend, by
joining our ranks."

Earl now ceased.

"Earl," began Ensal, slowly, earnestly, "do you know the Anglo-Saxon
race and particularly that brand found in the South? Provoke the
passions of that race, arouse the dormant but ever-present fear of
secret plottings for a general uprising, and you will inaugurate the
wholesale slaughter of innocent men, women and children. Satan hearing
of what is going on, will resign his post as King of Hell, will broaden
his title and move up to sit as Emperor of the South.

"No, no, no, Earl. Dark, dark is the night, but let us not mistake the
glow of the 'jack-o'-lantern' leading to a bog for the gleam of the
morning star ushering in the day."

Ensal ceased speaking and the two men looked at each other in si