Juan was beside himself; but did not dare to release Diego to strike him again, for it was plain that Diego was growing stronger. He could beat his face with his head. Yes, he could do that. But stop! there was something better.
“Both your eyes are black,” he said, tauntingly.
“I’ll black yours some day.”
“Your nose and your mouth are bleeding.”
“I’ll make yours bleed some day.”
“They’ll know on board that I did it.”
Diego had no answer to that. He could only scream his rage and defiance. But they would know, they would know. He struggled furiously; but Juan only laughed with all the ugliness of passion.
“You can’t get up; you’ve got to listen to me.”
“Jail-bird!”
Diego knew very well that there was nothing hurt as much as that.