There was a moment of silence and hesitation. The Scalper at length decided on being the first to speak. "Halloh!" he cried, "What do you want here?" Blue-fox was going to answer, but John Davis prevented him. "Leave him to me," he said. Quitting the trunk of the tree behind which he was sheltered, he then boldly walked a few paces forward, and stopped almost in the centre of the clearing. "Where are you, you who are speaking?" he asked in a loud and firm voice; "Are you afraid of letting yourself be seen?" "I fear nothing," the squatter replied. "Show yourself, then, that I may know you again," John said impudently. Thus challenged, the Scalper came up within two paces of the hunter. "Here I am," he said, "What do you want of me?" Davis let the horse come up without making any movement to avoid it. "Ah," he said, "I am not sorry to have had a look at you." "Is that all you have to say to me?" the other asked gruffly. "Hang it, you are in a tremendous hurry! Give me time to breathe, at any rate." "A truce to jests, which may cost you dearly; tell me at once what your proposals are--I have no time to lose in idle talk." "How the deuce do you know that I have proposals to make to you?" "Would you have come here without?" "And I presume that you are acquainted with these proposals?" "It is possible." "In that case, what answer do you give me?" "None." "What, none!" "I prefer attacking you." "Oh, oh, you have a tough job before you; there are eighteen of us, do you know that?" "I do not care for your numbers. If there were a hundred of you, I would attack you all the same." "By Heaven! For the rarity of the fact, I should be curious to see the combat of one man against twenty." "You will do so ere long." And, while saying this, the Scalper pulled his horse back several paces. "One moment, hang it," the hunter exclaimed sharply; "let me say a word to you." "Say it." "Will you surrender?" "What?" "I ask you if you will surrender." "Nonsense," the Scalper exclaimed with a grin; "you are mad. I surrender! It is you who will have to ask mercy ere long." "I would not believe it, even if you killed me." "Come, return to your shelter," the Scalper said with a shrug of his shoulders; "I do not wish to kill you defencelessly." "All the worse for you, then," the hunter said; "I have warned you honourably, now I wash my hands of it; get out of it as you can." "Thanks," the Scalper answered energetically; "but I am not yet in so bad a state as you fancy." John Davis contented himself with shrugging his shoulders, and returned slowly to his shelter in the forest, whistling Yankee Doodle. The Scalper had not imitated him; although he was perfectly well aware that a great number of enemies surrounded him and watched over his movements, he remained firm and motionless in the centre of the clearing.