FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   130   131   132   133   134   135   136   137   138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   152   153   154  
155   156   157   158   159   160   161   162   163   164   165   166   167   168   169   170   171   172   173   174   175   176   177   178   179   >>   >|  
t ee come on?" Whether Rube's comical interrogatory was understood or not, it elicited a reply:-- "_Amigos! somos amigos_!" (We are friends!) shouted back the leader of the band. "Friends, be damned!" exclaimed the trapper, who knew enough of Spanish to understand the signification of _amigos_. "Nice friends, you, i'deed! Wagh! D'yur think to bamfoozle us thet-away? Keep yur distance now!" continued he, raising his rifle in a threatening manner, as a movement was perceptible among the horsemen. "Keep yur distance, or, by the 'tarnal airthquake! I'll plug the fust o' ye thet rides within reach. Damn sich friends as you!" The leader now conversed in a low tone with his lieutenant, and some new design seemed to be discussed between them. A change of tactics was evidently devised during this pause in the action. After a while the chief again addressed us, speaking as before in Spanish. "We are friends!" said he: "we mean you no harm. To prove it, I shall order my men to fall back upon the prairie, while my lieutenant, unarmed, will meet one of you on the neutral ground. Surely, you can have no objection to that?" "And why such an arrangement?" inquired Garey, who spoke Spanish fluently. "We want nothing of _you_. What do you want from _us_, with all this infernal fuss?" "I have business with you," replied the Mexican; "and _you_, sir, in particular. I have something to say to you I don't wish others to hear." As he said this, the speaker turned his head, and nodded significantly towards his own following. He was candid with them at least. This unexpected dialogue took all three of us by surprise. What could the man want with Garey? The latter knew nothing of him--had never, as he declared, "sot eyes on the niggur afore;" although at such a distance--with the sun in his face, and the Mexican's sombrero slouched as it was--Garey might be mistaken. It might be some one whom he had met, though he could not recall him to mind. After a short consultation, we agreed that Garey should accept the proposal. No evil could result from it--none that we could think of. Garey could easily get back, before any attack could be made upon him, and Rube and I should still be ready to protect him with our pieces. If they meditated treachery, we could not perceive the advantage they were to gain from the proceeding. The "parley" therefore was accepted, and the conditions arranged with due caution
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   130   131   132   133   134   135   136   137   138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   152   153   154  
155   156   157   158   159   160   161   162   163   164   165   166   167   168   169   170   171   172   173   174   175   176   177   178   179   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

friends

 
distance
 

Spanish

 

lieutenant

 

Mexican

 

amigos

 
leader
 
infernal
 

unexpected

 

dialogue


business

 

replied

 

surprise

 

nodded

 

significantly

 
speaker
 

candid

 
turned
 

protect

 

pieces


meditated

 

easily

 

attack

 
treachery
 

perceive

 

conditions

 

accepted

 

arranged

 
caution
 

parley


advantage

 

proceeding

 
result
 

sombrero

 

slouched

 

niggur

 
declared
 
mistaken
 

accept

 

agreed


proposal
 

consultation

 

recall

 

threatening

 

manner

 

movement

 

perceptible

 
raising
 

bamfoozle

 
continued