She did not know how far
Gray's statements might have prejudiced her with the captain; she had
already sent de Poincilit a note urging him to deny absolutely all
knowledge of the plot to steal the boat, and attribute the American's
summary action to his mistaken rendering of the Spanish patois used by
the Chilean sailors.
"Yes," laughed Courtenay, ready to put her at ease. "One crowds the
events of a month into a day under some conditions. Last night, for
instance, I had five minutes' amusement with a steampipe and a
double-barrelled gun which will serve all my requirements in the way of
physical exercise for a long time to come."
"You feel sure that we shall see no more of the Indians?" asked Isobel,
quickly.
"I think so. One never can tell, but if they have the grit to attack
us again I shall regard them as first-class fighters."
"Dr. Christobal says they have an astonishing power of bearing pain
without flinching," said Elsie, plunging into the talk with a hot
eagerness. "The Alaculofs in the fore cabin were afraid of him,
thinking he meant to kill them, but, when they found that he wished
only to dress their wounds, they followed his actions with a curious
interest, as though he were tending some other person's hurts and not
their own.
Pages:
301
302
303
304
305
306
307
308
309
310
311
312
313
314
315
316
317
318
319
320
321
322
323
324
325