human
Curse this dust! growled the Captain;
gpt
Stop! shouted Hume sternly.
human
I can see you--ay, I can see you well; and if a man moves I will shoot him.
gpt
If you can see in this light, you have good eyes, my friend, said the Captain, with a nervous laugh.
human
But who in the devil's name are you?
gpt
Stand aside, Captain,
human
Stand where you are, said Hume fiercely.
gpt
Now give an account of yourselves. You have hunted us, keeping yourselves, like the shabbiest curs, well out of danger; and now, when you have brought us to bay, you have taken the last damnable measure of cowardice against us--thinking, too, there was a lady here. I see that third man move--by heavens! I will shoot.
human
Be calm, my friend, said the Captain in his hoarse voice;
gpt
Thanks to you,
human
Alone--one man against two hundred. What can you do? Just think: you may kill one of us; but then you are yourself killed, or perhaps wounded and given over as a plaything to the Zulus, who are like tigers because of their friends who died.
gpt
Well, what do you propose?
human
You know why we are here, as we know why you have come. We have been racing against each other for a hidden treasure, and you would not accept the warnings we gave you to desist. There are three of us; let us sink all differences, and do you come in, taking fourth share.
gpt
And my friends?
human
Your friends? It was the fortune of war that--
gpt
War do you call it? The better name would be murder.
human
We need not split hairs, said the Captain impatiently.
gpt
But why speak of your friends, since they are dead?
human
You lie! they live. The treasure is not for you. They have already secured it, and are in safety with the people beyond the river. Fools! while you slept they marched away, and Sirayo is now leading an army against your men.
gpt
You lie yourself, dog of an Englishman!
human
Listen!