“Corpo di Bacco—you are right, Signor Mid,” replied the officer, “but Don Philip is there, and his brother too, I believe. I will be there by ten o’clock to-morrow morning; we will march almost the whole night.”
“They have no arms,” observed Easy.
“No, but they will soon get them: they will go to some small town in a body, plunder it, and then seek the protection of the mountains. Your captain has given us a pretty job.”
Jack exchanged a few more words, and then, excusing himself on account of his haste, put the spurs to his horse and regained his own party, who now proceeded at a rapid pace.
“O Signor!” said the guide, “we shall kill the horses.”
“I’ll pay for them,” said Jack.
“Yes, but we shall kill them before we get there, Jack,” replied Gascoigne, “and have to walk the rest of the way.”
“Very true, Ned; let’s pull up, and give them their wind.”
“By de holy poker, Massa Easy, but my shirt stick to my ribs,” cried Mesty, whose black face was hung with dewdrops from their rapid course.
“Never mind, Mesty.”