"Any man who insults my friend, insults me. You have cast reflections upon my friend's courage. He, being your friend, overlooks it; but I, the man whom he worsted in fair fight, cannot. You must apologize."
Here Hal interfered. He had had such an encounter with the dwarf himself and he understood the situation.
"Hey, Stubbs!" he called. "Come back here, quick!"
Stubbs, just about to lie down upon his pallet, hurried back. He took in the situation at a glance and turned upon Nikol angrily.
"Here," he cried. "You keep out of my quarrels. I was big enough to attend to you, I can do the same with the rest of them."
"But he said—" protested the dwarf, pointing a finger at Chester.
"I don't care what he said," Stubbs said. "I can fight my own battles."
Nikol, deeply offended, drew back, and without another word, walked to the pallet that had been assigned to him. Stubbs, feeling somewhat better now that he had been able to berate some one and thus soothe his injured feelings, also stalked away without another word and lay down on his pallet. A moment later he was fast asleep.
"Do you suppose there is need for one of us to stand watch, Ivan?" asked Hal.
"I do not believe so," was the reply. "No one knows where my cavern is and we are not likely to be disturbed."