The colonel made a gesture full of impatience.
“What does he mean, Cyril? Doesn’t he want to go any farther?”
“I think that’s it, sir. I’ll ask him what he means.”
Cyril turned to the guide again, and there was a short, eager conversation, carried on for a minute or so.
“He says, sir, that the way along the track is very dangerous. It goes along that side, to the left, and the path is very narrow. If any one slipped, he would fall right to the bottom.”
“It must be the regular way across the mountains, where mules are accustomed to go, and he undertook to guide me; so tell him I go on.”
Cyril conveyed the colonel’s words to the man, who looked annoyed, and glanced suspiciously at the colonel as he said a few words, to which the boy replied angrily.
“What’s that? what’s that?” cried the colonel.
Cyril hesitated.
“Speak out, sir; what is it? Why don’t you speak?”