s, that speaks Hindustani?" cries he, rising on one knee
and pointing fair at the man's face, with a gesture indescribably
menacing; and when he had been answered in the affirmative, "Ah!" says
he, "then are all my suspicions verified, and I did rightly to come
back. Now, men, hear the truth for the first time." Thereupon he
launched forth in a long story, told with extraordinary skill, how he
had all along suspected Harris, how he had found the confirmation of his
fears, and how Harris must have misrepresented what passed between
Secundra and himself. At this point he made a bold stroke with excellent
effect. "I suppose," says he, "you think you are going shares with
Harris, I suppose you think you will see to that yourselves; you would
naturally not think so flat a rogue could cozen you. But have a care!
These half-idiots have a sort of cunning, as the skunk has its stench;
and it may be news to you that Harris has taken care of himself already.
Yes, for him the treasure is all money in the bargain. You must find it
or go starve. But he has been paid beforehand; my brother paid him to
destroy me; look at him if you doubt--look at him, grinning and gulping,
a detected thief!" Thence, having made this happy impression, he
explained how he had escaped, and thought better of it, and at last
concluded to come back, lay the truth before the company, and take his
chance with them once more: persuaded as he was, they would instantly
depose Harris and elect some other leader. "There is the whole truth,"
said he: "and, with one exception, I put myself entirely in your hands.
What is the exception? There he sits," he cried, pointing once more to
Harris; "a man that has to die! Weapons and conditions are all one to
me; put me face to face with him, and if you give me nothing but a
stick, in five minutes I will show you a sop of broken carrion, fit for
dogs to roll in."

It was dark night when he made an end; they had listened in almost
perfect silence; but the firelight scarce permitted any one to judge,
from the look of his neighbours, with what result of persuasion or
conviction. Indeed, the Master had set himself in the brightest place,
and kept his face there, to be the centre of men's eyes: doubtless on a
profound calculation. Silence followed for a while, and presently the
whole party became involved in disputation: the Master lying on his
back, with his hands knit under his head and one knee flung across the
other, like a