“But that is idiotic,” I exclaimed, “it is perfectly absurd! Why save women and children if you are going to make widows and orphans of them? And do you believe that all those young men would resign themselves to their fate because of your guns? There are more of them than there are of you, and they are armed. Life owes them their revenge, and they have the same right that we have to defend the supreme moment. They have the courage of those who have nothing to lose and everything to gain in the struggle. In my opinion it is iniquitous and infamous that you should expose us to certain death and them to an obligatory and perfectly justified crime.” The captain tried to speak, but again I persisted. “Without going as far as a shipwreck only fancy if we were to be tossed and bandied about for months on a raging sea. This has happened and might happen again.... You cannot possibly have food enough on board for a thousand people during two or three months.” “No, certainly not,” put in the purser dryly. He was a very amiable man, but very touchy. “Well, then, what should you do?” I asked. “What would _you_ do?” asked the captain, highly amused at the annoyed expression on the purser’s face. “I ... oh! I should have a boat for immigrants and a boat for passengers, and I think that would be only just.” “Yes, but it would be ruinous.” “No, the one for wealthy people would be a steamer like this, and the one for emigrants a sailing vessel.” “But that, too, would be unjust, madame, for the steamer would go more quickly than the sailing boat.” “That would not matter at all,” I argued. “Wealthy people are always in a hurry and the poor never are. And then, considering what is awaiting them in the land to which they are going....” “It is the Promised Land.”