The hunter shrugged his shoulders.
"You are mad."
"I am mad—I am mad!" Paredes repeated, shaking his head very dubiously; "it pleases you to say that, but I am not at all desirous, if I can avoid it, of thus placing myself in the power of men who must be my enemies."
"I repeat that nothing will happen to you. ¡Viva Dios! do you fancy me capable of leading you into a snare?"
"No; on my honour that is not my thought; but you may be mistaken, and credit these savages with feelings they do not possess."
"I am certain of what I assert. Not only have you nothing to fear, but you will have an honourable reception."
"Honourable?" the majordomo remarked, with an air of incredulity; "I am not very certain of that."
"You shall see. Woe to the man who dared to hurt a hair of your head while you are in my company."
"Who are you, to speak thus?"
"A hunter, nothing else; but I am a friend of the Papazos, and adopted son of one of their tribes; and every man, though he were the mortal enemy of the nation, must for my sake, be received as a brother by the sachems and warriors."