"Let us defend the treasure,
Let us defend our gold
Against every mortal
Not knowing the signal."
The captain advanced quickly, and taking up his place at the side of the circle of little men, saluted the dwarfs with great courtesy.
"Good evening, friends,"
"Daring man!" said the tiny men. "Who are you? What have you come here for?"
And armed with their thick sticks they rushed towards the intruder. But the latter, without being frightened, unsheathed his sword, and said to them very calmly:
"Let us be serious, comrades, and leave off making bad-natured jokes, because I will cut down any one who comes too near me. Are you willing to let me have the treasures?"
"Never!" they exclaimed. "It is necessary for you to give us the signal. If you do not know it, we shall kill you."
"That is easier said than done," said Pero Gil, with great deliberation. "You must grow a little before you can put a man like me in pickle. If your height had grown as much as your beard, it might have been different."
"Let us kill him," shouted the dwarfs. "He does not know the signal!"
And they threw themselves upon the captain. But the latter drew out a pistol, and with one shot the most daring of them fell to the ground, which checked the rest.