With this end in view, another meeting was called at Carteret’s office.

“We are now ready,” announced General Belmont, “for the final act of this drama.  We must decide promptly, or events may run away from us.”

“What do you suggest?” asked Carteret.

“Down in the American tropics,” continued the general, “they have a way of doing things.  I was in Nicaragua, ten years ago, when Paterno’s revolution drove out Igorroto’s government.  It was as easy as falling off a log.  Paterno had the arms and the best men.  Igorroto was not looking for trouble, and the guns were at his breast before he knew it.  We have the guns.  The negroes are not expecting trouble, and are easy to manage compared with the fiery mixture that flourishes in the tropics.”

“I should not advocate murder,” returned Carteret.  “We are animated by high and holy principles.  We wish to right a wrong, to remedy an abuse, to save our state from anarchy and our race from humiliation.  I don’t object to frightening the negroes, but I am opposed to unnecessary bloodshed.”

“I’m not quite so particular,” struck in McBane.  “They need to be taught a lesson, and a nigger more or less wouldn’t be missed.  There’s too many of ’em now.”

“Of course,” continued Carteret, “if we should decide upon a certain mode of procedure, and the negroes should resist, a different reasoning might apply; but I will have no premeditated murder.”

“In Central and South America,” observed the general reflectively, “none are hurt except those who get in the way.”

“There’ll be no niggers hurt,” said McBane contemptuously, “unless they strain themselves running.  One white man can chase a hundred of ’em.  I’ve managed five hundred at a time.  I’ll pay for burying all the niggers that are killed.”

The conference resulted in a well-defined plan, to be put into operation the following day, by which the city government was to be wrested from the Republicans and their negro allies.

“And now,” said General Belmont, “while we are cleansing the Augean stables, we may as well remove the cause as the effect.  There are several negroes too many in this town, which will be much the better without them.  There’s that yellow lawyer, Watson.  He’s altogether too mouthy, and has too much business.  Every nigger that gets into trouble sends for Watson, and white lawyers, with families to support and social positions to keep up, are deprived of their legitimate source of income.”

“There’s that damn nigger real estate agent,” blurted out McBane.  “Billy Kitchen used to get most of the nigger business, but this darky has almost driven him to the poorhouse.  A white business man is entitled to a living in his own profession and his own home.  That nigger don’t belong here nohow.  He came from the North a year or two ago, and is hand in glove with Barber, the nigger editor, which is enough of itself to damn him. He’ll have to go!”