“And did you give them the information they required?” asked my father.
“O señor, believe me, I did not,” exclaimed Gab. “I told them as many lies as I could think of, and tried my best to deceive them.”
“You audacious villain! Then how are we to believe you?” exclaimed the doctor, who now appeared on the scene, and beard his servant’s last words. “What made you go out to meet those people?
Answer that. I care not what you tell us that you said to them, or they said to you.”
Gab was dumb.
“The fellow has probably been all along in communication with your enemies, Señor Desmond; and his object is to gain a reward for conducting them to this place,” exclaimed the doctor. “Take my advice, and hang him forthwith. As I brought him here, I feel answerable for his behaviour; and it would be a bad return for your kindness should the villain betray you.”
I am very sure the doctor said this to frighten Gab, for he was not at all of a sanguinary disposition, and even the beasts of the forest he only slew in the cause of Science. But Gab, believing him to be in earnest, trembled all over, and pleaded for mercy, promising to be faithful to his master in future, and to endeavour to mislead the enemy should they come into the neighbourhood. Our own blacks, on hearing this, shouted out,—“Don’t trust him; he has got two faces—one for the enemy, and one for you!”
“I don’t intend to do so,” answered my father. “We will shut him up for the present, till we have settled what punishment to inflict.”
With this the rest of the blacks were far from satisfied; and I believe that, had he been handed over to them, they would very quickly have disposed of him.