“We will go straight up to him and ask him to help us.”
“Very well,” Jack said. “Rest, and a guide, and food, and fire. And what story shall we tell him of ourselves?”
“We will tell him the truth,” said I.
“And shame the devil,” said he, with another uncomfortable chuckle.
“What language shall I try him with?” said I.
“Bet you a pound he knows English,” said Jack.
“Oh, that’s the sort of devil you think he is; very well, I’ll take your bet, though I dare say you are right enough.” I declare, although I knew very well what ruffians outlawed Englishmen are apt to be, I felt quite light-hearted as I thought that perhaps after all the men we were going to meet might be no worse than such. “Come on,” I said, and we walked straight to the light. I pulled aside the rustic frame, which came with my hand quite easily; then I walked straight through, Jack following me closely.
The strange leader saw us at once, stood still, and looked at us. We walked forward and saluted him. I felt at the moment that Jack was right, that he knew [108] ]that we were coming, although he wore an air of surprise, interested and self-possessed. I thought at the very first, “After all, he looks noble.” But almost immediately I changed the word “noble” for “very strong.”
He spoke to us in English. I looked at Jack, who smiled grimly and whispered, “Lost, old man.” The strange leader said,
“Who are you, and whence do you come?” He spoke perfectly, quite perfectly, and in a commanding and confident tone. But there was a something, I know not what, about his accent, which told me that he was speaking a language foreign to him, and then and afterwards I noticed also that he did not use the conversational idiomatic English of any of those who speak English as their mother tongue.