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Bo Muzem, the youngest of the merchants, immediately seconded the pilgrim's proposal, and spoke energetically in its favour. He observed they were but one day's journey from Agadeer, a frontier town of Morocco; and that from there Swearah could be reached in three days.
If you take your slaves into the city, you will lose them." "I shall not bring them into the empire of Morocco," replied Bo Muzem, "until I have first received the money for them." "You will never get it in Swearah. Their consul will not pay a dollar, but will try to have them liberated without giving you anything."
He had no claim on them. Mahommed, the grazier, was now their lawful owner. The grazier was next called upon to make his statement. This was soon done. All he had to say was, that he had purchased three Christian slaves from his friend, Bo Muzem; and had given four horses and ten dollars in money for each of them.
All retired; and, as they did so, the grazier was heard to mutter some words about there being no justice for poor Arabs in Morocco. Rais Mourad gave orders to his followers to prepare for the road; and just as they were ready to start, he requested Bo Muzem to accompany him outside the walls of the city.
It was the grazier to whom, but a few days before, he had sold the two slaves, Terence and Jim. "Ah my friend, you have ruined me!" exclaimed the grazier, after the first salutations had passed between them. "I have lost those two useless Christian dogs you sold me, and I am a ruined man." Bo Muzem requested him to explain himself.
Moreover, they did not wish to be thought guilty of a wrong, even by Christian slaves; and they therefore condescended to give some explanation. "Suppose," said one of them, "that our partner Bo Muzem should find a man in Mogador who is willing to ransom you, how much are we to get for you?" "One hundred dollars for me," answered the Krooman, "and one hundred and fifty for each of the others."
They were not allowed to suffer from thirst, and were supplied with nearly as much food as they required. On the sixth day after the departure of Bo Muzem, they were visited by their masters, accompanied by a stranger who was a Moor. They were commanded to get up on their feet; and were then examined by the Moor in a manner that awakened suspicions that he was about to buy them.
Having made two hundred piastres by that transaction, he was anxious to trade you out of these others, and make a few hundred more. He was deceiving you for the purpose of obtaining your property at a cheap rate. There is but one God, Mahomet is his Prophet, and you, Bo Muzem, are a fool!" Bo Muzem required no further evidence in confirmation of the truth of this statement.
While the letter was being written, Bo Muzem commenced making preparations for his journey. Knowing that their only hope of liberty depended on their situation being made known to some countryman resident in Mogador, Harry took up the pen; and, with much difficulty, succeeded in scribbling the following words: The bearer of this note is one of our masters.
"Perhaps the bearer of this note, Bo Muzem, may be induced to purchase them, so that they also may be ransomed. "Henry Blount." This letter Harry folded, and directed to "Any English merchant in Mogador." By the time it was written, Bo Muzem had mounted and made himself ready for the road.
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