"Immediately," was the reply, and the giant moved toward the mouth of the cavern.
"Now, look-a-here, you fellows," said the voice of Anthony Stubbs. "I've been a whole lot of places with you and I hope to go with you a whole lot more, but I claim it is downright foolishness to stick our heads into a brigand's lair. What's the use? The best we can get is the worst of it."
"Stubbs," said Hal quietly, "you don't have to go along if you don't want to. You can stay right here."
"What?" exclaimed the little man. "Stay here by myself? I should say not.
I don't want to stay here alone and I don't want to go hunting brigands.
What I want to do is get some place where it's safe. I don't like this
country, if you want to know it."
"It's a good country," said Nikol abruptly.
Stubbs looked at the dwarf in surprise. It was the first time the
Albanian had talked back to him.
"What do you know about it?" demanded Stubbs. "You never saw a regular country."
The dwarf bowed his head in some confusion. Apparently Stubbs' spell still held good over him.
"Come, Stubbs, don't be stubborn," said Chester.
"Well, all right," said the little man, shaking his head sadly. "I'll go if the rest of you do, but I want to tell you right now, I protest!"