While the story doesn't say I very much suspect that a great deal of drink was involved in order for them to come up with this plan.
Hmmmm. Too much alcohol and dear brother would have "come up."
this reminds me of a similar story. A circus plane went down in New Guinea. The cannibals showed up and ate the survivors.
Two cannibals were eating a clown, and one turned to the other and said,
"Does this taste funny to you?"