The habit of obeying white men stimulated the gorilla-like stoker to dip his paddle in the water, but the Indian stopped him with a gesture.
'Surely, Sahib, when my words are ended, we will paddle to land.'
His hand, waved gently towards the Belgian coast, explained his meaning.
'Yesterday the Sahib forbade his slave to interfere in his affairs. He will now lay the lake between himself and those affairs.'
He threw back his head and laughed noiselessly. Dick went red with rage.
'The damned nigger...' he cried.
Under her breath Norah whispered to him to take his gun.
'It's him or us,' she said.
'Do you mean?...' began Dick, then broke off. 'Hell!' he shouted. Why did I waste those cartridges yesterday?'
'Why——' began Norah.