"I do not believe you," the coronel declared, bluntly.
José shrugged, calmly drank the coronel's wine, lighted the coronel's cigar, leaned back in the coronel's chair, and eyed the coronel with imperturbable insolence.
"See here, José," demanded McKay, "you've had something up your sleeve all along. Now come clean! What is it?"
José puffed airily at the cigar, saying nothing.
"What orders did Schwandorf give you?"
This time the reply came readily enough.
"To take you twenty-four days up the river and put you ashore. To prevent any trouble before that time."
"Ah! And after that?"
"Nothing. At least, nothing to me. What may have been said to the other men I do not know. Schwandorf came to me last, after he had picked all the others."
"And what do you know about Schwandorf?"