The doctor stopped, and looked full in the American’s eyes.
“Not allowed to go off again?”
“Exactly,” replied the doctor. “But before any more is said, Griggs, I want to offer you the opportunity to draw back.”
“What for?” said Griggs sharply.
“Because it is a very risky thing to do. You propose offering yourself for a mark to the Indians’ arrows, and—”
“Not a bit of it, sir. I’m going to take care they don’t hit me.”
“Yes, yes, but you know what I mean.”
“Right; I do, neighbour, and it’s very handsome of you to offer me the chance to back out. But I’m not going to. I’ve made up my mind that it’s about twice as risky to hold back, for sure as the United States are the finest in the world, if we stop here much longer these cunning savages will give us a surprise which will end in their losing a lot of men through shot-holes in different parts of their persons; but those who escape being hurt will have the satisfaction of taking possession of all the traps of half-a-dozen folk who came to look for gold, but found only a place to lay their bones alongside of some other folks who got into trouble here ages and ages ago.”
“Then you mean to hold to your plan?”
“I mean to do a bit to carry out young Chris’s plan, and shut up the redskins for a week or two, perhaps a month, while we get right away.”