"By heaven!" he said, "The trial was useless; you ought to have known long ago what we are."
"Certainly I knew it, but my honour commanded me to act as I have done. Now, all is said: we shall succeed or perish together."
"Very good, that is what I call speaking," the ex-slave dealer said, with a hearty laugh; "the partisans of Santa Anna must have to hold their own; for, if I am not greatly mistaken, ere long we shall cut them into stirrup leathers."
At this moment a shrill whistle, although rather remote, was heard: a second whistle, still nearer, replied.
"Gentlemen," the stranger said, "we are warned of the approach of an enemy; perhaps it is only a false alarm, still the interest of the cause we defend imperiously ordains prudence. Follow John Davis, while I receive the troublesome fellow who is intruding on us."
"Come," said the American.
The conspirators, for they were no other, displayed some hesitation, for they felt a repugnance to hide themselves.
"Leave me," the stranger went on, "you must."
All bowed and left the room after John Davis by the secret door, which had offered passage to their Chief, and which closed upon them without displaying a sign of its existence, as it was so carefully hidden in the wall. A third whistle, close by, was heard at this moment.
"Yes, yes," the Chief said, with a smile, "whoever you may be, you can come now; if you possessed the craft of the opossum and the eyes of the eagle, I defy you to discover anything suspicious here."