"Dig their graves first!" exclaimed the chief, and he turned to his men and explained the matter to them. They were evidently delighted.
"What are they saying?" asked James again.
"They say that that is a grand idea, and that they will adopt it. They think civilization is a great thing, and they want to be civilized," said Carlos.
"There, I knew they weren't cannibals!" said the colonel.
There was silence for several minutes, and Carlos smoothed Sam's locks with his hand.
"We must entertain him," said Cleary. "Say something, Sam, or he'll get down on us."
"Say something yourself," said Sam, who was thoroughly vexed at his friend's ill-timed flippancy.
"Does your tribe live in these mountains and nowhere else?" asked Cleary.
"Oh, no. We have brothers everywhere. They are in all the islands, and all over the world."
"You tell them by your language, I suppose."