"Well!"
"Thy skill—thy courage—thy fortitude—"
"In brief, ye thought me best fitted to command ye?"
"Yes."
"Then I command ye hence! Leave me, and let me rest!"
"Nay, brother, but this cannot be;" was the reply of another of the intruders. "We must speak with thee while the night serves us, lest thou hear worse things with the morrow. Thou art, indeed, our captain; chosen because of thy qualities of service, to conduct and counsel us; but we chose thee not that thou shouldst sleep! Thou wert chosen that our enterprises might be active and might lead to frequent profit."
"Has it not been so?" demanded the chief.
"For a season it was so, and there was no complaint of thee."
"Who now complains?"
"Thy people—all!"