“No. They’re true as good. Not a bit of exaggeration, I assure you. The gold only wants to be got at, and then taken.”
“Ah! there may be difficulty about that?” rejoins the doubting Diaz.
“Do you expect to finger sixty thousand pesos without taking the trouble to stretch out your hand?”
“Oh, no. I’m not so unreasonable. For that I’d be willing to stretch out both hands, with a knife in one, and a pistol in the other.”
“Well, it’s not likely to need either, if skilfully managed. I ask you again, are you the men to go in for it?”
“I’m one,” answers Diaz.
“And I another,” growls Rocas.
“I’m not going to say nay,” assents Calderon, glancing significantly at the questioner.
“Enough!” exclaims De Lara; “so far you all consent to the partnership. But before entering fully into it, it will be necessary to have a more thorough understanding, as also a more formal one. Are you willing to be bound, that there shall be truth between us?”
“We are!” is the simultaneous response of all three.