"Yes," said the Indian.
"We must do something, we must do something," said Simon.
The door of the cabin was flung open violently. Rolleston appeared. He shouted angrily to the women:
"Are you ready? Count three minutes. In three minutes strangle him," and, turning round, "You understand, Isabel? Three minutes. Make up your mind, my girl."
He slammed the door behind him.
Quick as thought, Simon had seized Antonio's rifle, but, hampered by the bars, he was unable to take aim before the villain had closed the door.
"You will spoil everything!" said Antonio, crawling from under the tarpaulin and wresting the rifle from him.
Simon, in turn, stood up, with distorted features:
"Three minutes! Oh, poor girl, poor girl!"
Antonio tried to restrain him: