The dwarf's hold relaxed and Hal jumped away.
"Don't try any of that on me again," he said, facing Nikol angrily. He turned to Stubbs. "You just instruct this fellow to keep his hands off me, or I shall have to take my gun to him."
"Oh, he didn't mean any harm," Stubbs protested.
"Maybe he didn't and maybe he did," replied Hal. "At any rate, I don't like that kind of treatment. You tell him what I said."
"He was just sticking up for me," said Stubbs, aggrievedly. "But I'll tell him."
He did so, but the dwarf said nothing.
At this juncture the big Cossack poked his head from beneath the rock.
"Are you coming in here or not?" he demanded in a gruff voice.
"Coming," said Hal, dropping to his knees.
"Look here, Hal," said Stubbs, "I don't like the looks of this place.
Maybe we had better stay outside."