And, if you'll pardon me, Captain, I don't believe much in the great slave empire that the Knights of the Golden Circle planned." Bertrand's black eyes flashed.
"And why not ?" he asked sharply.
"To take Cuba and Mexico would mean other wars, and if we took them we'd have other kinds of people whom we'd have to hold in check with arms.
A fine mess we'd make of it, and we haven't any right to jump on Cuba and Mexico, anyway.

I've got a far better plan." "And what is that ?" asked Bertrand, with an increasing sharpness of manner.
"The North means to free our slaves.

We'll defeat the North and show to her that she can't.

Then we'll free 'em ourselves." "Free them ourselves!" exclaimed Bertrand.

"What are we fighting for but the right to hold our own property ?" "I didn't understand it exactly that way.