"Look here, never mind the _sir_. That's so English. Now you're getting stand-offy again, as if you thought I was a sharper with a story about being hard up." "H'm!" coughed Brace. "Hah! that's what you did think?" "Well, perhaps so." "No perhaps about it, squire. But you're wrong. I am hard up, but it isn't for dollars." "Then what help do you want?" "Friendly help. I'm down in a hole, and I want you and your brother to pull me out." "Please explain." "Don't be in a hurry. You've been too sharp for me as it is." "How? I never saw you till yesterday, when you came hanging about our table." "Enough to make any man hang about. It made me wild, squire, to see the ground cut from under my feet. I'm not used to it." "I am quite ignorant of having done anything to injure you, sir," said Brace. "Will you explain yourself?" "Oh, I'll precious soon explain. You and your brother pushed in before me and stole my skipper." "Did what?" cried Brace. "Stole my skipper, squire. I came here straight, after being too late over a schooner at Trinidad. Found out that Skipper Banes had been disappointed of a cargo and was just the man likely to make a bargain with me, but before I could get in tow with him you and your brother had hooked on." "Really, I'm very sorry for you." "Never mind the sorrow, squire: I want something more substantial than that. What do you say to tossing for him?" "Nothing," said Brace. "Of course I knew you'd say that. What do you say to letting me have him, and I'll take you with me, both of you?" "Nothing again," replied Brace, laughing. "Why not? Lookye here: I'm going up the Orinoco exploring and collecting, shooting, fishing, and hunting, and finding every precious thing there is to be found. That's just what you're going to do." "Is it?" "Yes, of course it is: only you two say Amazons, while I say Orinoco." "You seem to know all about our affairs, sir," said Brace stiffly. "Yes, I do, pretty tidy," said the American. "Come, what do you say? You and your brother can pay half, and we'll share everything we get. What do you say to that?" "You had better explain your position to my brother, sir," said Brace quietly; "that is all that I can say." "That means your brother won't come unless he can boss the whole show." "Yes, that's it," said Brace, laughing. "It's a way we English have." "That's true, but then, you see, we Amurricans have got the old AS blood in us." "AS--Anglo-Saxon?" said Brace. "That's the stuff; sir, and all the best of the British race in us along with our own qualities. It came out over the row with George Three, and it's come out more and more ever since. We like to boss the whole show too, and we do it." "Or try to." "Yes, and try wins, squire. But look here, I suppose you're right. That's what your brother will say. He has made his plans and he don't want any Yankee meddling in them, eh?" "Well! But I believe he will put it in a more gentlemanly way."