"You—go to Gato?"
"Yes. Why not?"
"Gato would kill you!"
"Kill a poor peon?" smiled Nicolas. "Oh, no; I am not worth while. I am not a fighting man."
"Do you mean to tell me," demanded Tom, astonished, "that you could go openly and safely to Gato?"
"Assuredly," declared Nicolas, composedly. "Gato would not harm me. I am one of his own people, a Mexican, and have not the courage to fight. So he would only disgrace himself in the eyes of his countrymen if he tried to do me harm."
"Is that the truth?" Reade persisted.
"Certainly, Senor Reade. If there were a priest here I would swear to it as the truth."
"And you have the courage to try to hand a note to Gato?"
"Under the circumstances it does not require courage, since I am safe," replied Nicolas, steadily and easily.