"You Yankees talk too much," said Carstairs.
"And you English talk at the wrong time."
"Generally we let our deeds talk for us."
"Then you don't say much."
John laughed. The pleasant way in which they quarreled always amused him.
"I promised not to take the side of either of you at any time," he said. "You seem to be about evenly matched, and of course it wouldn't be fair for me in such a case to help my countryman."
"Two to one against us are about the odds we English like," said Carstairs.
"Boaster," said Wharton. "Position and army equal we could always whip you, man for man."
"Boaster yourself. Whenever we didn't whip you you'd always say that the position and arms were not equal."
"Stop long enough to look at those birds in the heavens," said John.