“Carajo! he’s killed our dogs?” vociferated one of the Spaniards.
“Demonios! you’ll pay for this with your lives!” added the other, raising his macheté in menace.
“And what if I have killed your dogs?” rejoined the yellow hunter, with an air of sang froid, which won the silent applause of the spectator. “What if I have? If I had not killed them, they would have killed me!”
“No,” said one of the Spaniards; “they would not have touched you. Carrambo! they were too well trained for that—they were after him. Why did you put yourself in the way to protect him? It’s no business of yours.”
“There, my worthy friend, you are mistaken,” replied he in the toque, with a significant sneer. “It is my business to protect him—my interest too: since he is my captive.”
“Your captive!” exclaimed one of the men, with a glance of concern.
“Certainly, he is my captive; and it was my interest not to let the dogs destroy him. Dead, I should only have got two pounds currency for his head. Living, he is worth twice that, and mileage money to boot; though I’m sorry to see by the ‘J.J.’ on his breast that the mileage money won’t amount to much. Now, what more have you to say, my worthy gentlemen?”
“Only this,” cried the man with the black beard; “that we listen to no such nonsense as that there. Whoever you may be, I don’t care. I suspect who you are; but that don’t hinder me from telling you, you’ve no business to meddle in this affair. This runaway slave belongs to Jacob Jessuron. I’m his overseer. He’s been taken on Jessuron’s own ground: therefore you can’t claim the captive, nor yet the bounty. So you’ll have to give him up to us.”
“Carrambo, si!” vociferated both the Spaniards in a breath, at the same time that the three advanced towards the runaway—the bearded overseer pistol in hand, and his two comrades with their machetés drawn, and ready to be used.
“Come on, then!” cried the hunter, in a taunting tone—as he spoke making signs to the runaway to stand to his defence. “Come on! but, remember! the first that lays hand upon him is a dead man. There are three of you, and we are but two—one already half-dead with your inhuman cruelty.”