A super-sensitive
honor led him to fear that his successful rival might suspect him of
vaingloriousness. Herein Christobal did himself an injustice, and
Courtenay a greater one, as he was fated soon to learn.
When Elsie heard of the duplicity practised by Suarez it was good to
see the hot indignation which reddened her brow. She realized that the
man was unscrupulous enough to remain silent concerning the captured
sailors, whose unhappy fate had contributed, in no small degree, to the
chance which brought him to safety. She instantly fastened on to the
theory that the Indians paid their first nocturnal visit to the ship in
the belief that the vessel would prove as easy a prey as the castaways,
whereas Suarez must have fallen beneath their stones and rude hatchets
if he had attempted to board the _Kansas_ in broad daylight. With all
a woman's single-mindedness, she regarded the Argentine miner as being
directly responsible for Courtenay's hazard, nor would she listen to
Christobal's mild protest that nothing could have been done earlier, no
matter how outspoken Suarez chose to be.
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