"Had a pleasant walk?" he asked suddenly.
"Yes. And you?" returned Heyst, who had managed to catch his glance.
"I haven't been a yard away from the governor this afternoon till
I started for here." The genuineness of the accent surprised Heyst,
without convincing him of the truth of the words.
"Why do you ask?" pursued Ricardo with every inflection of perfect
candour.
"You might have wished to explore the island a little," said Heyst,
studying the man, who, to render him justice, did not try to free his
captured gaze. "I may remind you that it wouldn't be a perfectly safe
proceeding."
Ricardo presented a picture of innocence.
"Oh, yes--meaning that Chink that has ran away from you. He ain't much!"
"He has a revolver," observed Heyst meaningly.
"Well, and you have a revolver, too," Mr. Ricardo argued unexpectedly.
"I don't worry myself about that."
"That's different. I am not afraid of you," Heyst made answer after a
short pause.
"Of me?"
"Of all of you."
"You have a queer way of putting things," began Ricardo.
At that moment the door on the compound side of the house came open with
some noise, and Pedro entered, pressing the edge of a loaded tray to his
breast. His big, hairy head rolled a little, his feet fell in front of
each other with a short, hard thump on the floor. The arrival changed
the current of Ricardo's thought, perhaps, but certainly of his speech.
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