“Oh, eat all you please; I merely wished to question you a little. Did you send out a party to bring in our horses and the sabres?”
“It vos all done already; der horses vos found und der swords. Yaw, I see to all dot; but I vos hongry, und vaited here to fill me op.”
“How many men have we lost?”
He checked them off on the tines of his fork, occasionally pausing to take a bite from the meat held in his other hand.
“Der vos five kilt, Captain; dot vos it. I vos hit mit der ear off, und vos hongry as never vos; Sands is goin' to die, und maybe Elliott vill not get some better; some odders vos hurted, und der guide vos took brisoner.”
“Taken prisoner?”
“Dot is it, Captain; by Chiminy, he vos took by der ear by his voman und led in der house. Vot you calls dot, if he vos not brisoner, hay?”
“Why, she is his wife.”
“Veil, dot may be, too,” he insisted stoutly. “His frau, yaw, dot is it, but by Chiminy, he fights mit her yoost der same, und vos brisoner; und I vos vounded mit der ear off, und vos hongry as never vos.”
“How many men does that leave us fit for duty?” I asked decisively, pushing back my plate and rising from the table.