But threats and imprecations availed but little; unless they swam the river, which was impracticable, in the face of a man so resolute as the hunter seemed to be, there were no means of taking any vengeance on him, or recapturing the slave he had so deliberately taken under his protection. While the American racked his brains in vain to find an expedient that would enable him to gain the advantage, a bullet dashed the rifle he held in his hand to pieces. "Accursed dog!" he yelled in his fury, "do you wish to assassinate me?" "I should have a right to do so," the Canadian replied, "for I am only defending myself fairly, after your attempt to kill me; but I prefer dealing amicably with you, although I feel convinced I should be doing a great service to humanity by lodging a couple of slugs in your brain." And a second bullet at this moment smashed the rifle one of the servants was reloading. "Come, enough of this," the American shouted, greatly exasperated; "what do you want?" "I told you--treat amicably with you." "But on what conditions? Tell me them at least." "In a moment." The rifle of the second servant was broken like that of the first: of the five men, three were now disarmed. "Curses," the slave-dealer howled; "have you resolved to make a target of us in turn?" "No, I only wish to equalise chances." "But--" "It is done now." The fourth rifle was broken. "And now," the Canadian said, as he showed himself "suppose we have a talk." And, leaving his shelter, he walked to the river bank. "Yes, talk, demon," the American shouted. With a movement swift as thought, he seized the last rifle, and shouldered it; but, ere he could pull the trigger, he rolled on the platform, uttering a cry of pain. The hunter's bullet had broken his arm. "Wait for me, I am coming," the Canadian continued with perfect calmness. He reloaded his rifle, leaped into the canoe, and with a few strokes of his paddle, found himself on the other side of the river. "There," he said as he landed and walked up to the American, who was writhing like a serpent on the platform, howling and blaspheming; "I warned you: I only wished to equalise the chances, and you have no right to complain of what has happened to you, my dear sir: the fault rests entirely with yourself." "Seize him! kill him!" the wretch shouted, a prey to indescribable fury. "Come, come, calm yourself. Good gracious, you have only a broken arm, after all; remember, I could have easily killed you, had I pleased. Hang it, you are not reasonable." "Oh! I will kill him," he yelled, as he gnashed his teeth. "I hardly think so, at least not for the present; I will say nothing about by and by. But let that be: I will examine your wound, and dress it while we talk." "Do not touch me! Do not come near me, or I know not to what extremities I may proceed." The Canadian shrugged his shoulders. "You must be mad," he said.