Strawbridge glanced around, rather surprised.
"I was saying no harm. Besides, he's a friend of mine. In fact, I was looking for him, to ask a little favor."
"Yes?" interrogated Lubito.
"It's about a youngster named Josefa. The general put him in prison—"
"Diablo, señor!" gasped Esteban. "I beg of you not to speak of these things in the plaza!"
The drummer was impressed with the peon's alarm. His feeling was reinforced by the knowledge that Josefa was in prison on account of just such a casual conversation as this. So he said:
"Well, now you know what I had to tell you, and who I am hunting."
The bull-fighter nodded gravely.
"I see you are going to do a certain friend of yours a little favor."
"Yes, get him out of trouble."