He trudged away with a sullen gait. On both sides of the stream the Indians muttered and looked at the tall commander with increased respect. Truly, the Blackbeard was a fierce ruler and one who must not be angered; he had the voice of a great gun and the temper of a jaguar. That other man was lucky to have his head still on his shoulders! When the camp was made at the edge of the bush and the four comrades were grouped in their hammocks, Lourenço narrated in detail the conversation with Umanuh. Knowlton reciprocated with news of what he and Pedro had seen at the corner of the barred house. "I almost jumped after him, Rod," he admitted. "Had all I could do to hold myself. But I knew anything sudden like that might start war right there, and we wouldn't have a Chinaman's chance of getting away with him, so I stood fast. But he's here, and old Umanuh's a liar by the clock if he says otherwise." "He is the same man we saw in the forest, Lourenço, or my eyes are twisted," added Pedro. "Hm! Something very fishy here," commented McKay. "Very fishy indeed, Capitao," Lourenço echoed. "The man is within call, yet Umanuh says he is not here. And Umanuh wants us to buy the man. What is more, he asks if we will pay more than the other Blackbeard. What other Blackbeard? The man himself has a dark beard, and since we left headquarters Pedro and I have grown black whiskers, too. Yet Umanuh cannot mean the crazy man would pay him to stay here, or that either of us Brazilians would try to buy him. There are no other men with black beards--except the German woman-stealer; and of course he cannot be the one." "No?" Pedro asked, softly. "No, certainly. Why? Of what were you thinking?" Pedro's brown eyes twinkled, but he made no answer. He only inhaled a long puff from his cigarette and looked across the water at the hairpin-shaped town. "What about that visiting trip of yours to-night?" McKay asked. "I wish to see what is in that house with the barred door, Capitao. When I am curious about such a matter Lourenço always becomes curious, too, so I shall have to take him with me. If I did not he would say I was making love to the chief's wives." "_Por Deus!_ That may be all the barred house holds--the wives of the chief," guessed Lourenço. "Why waste time and risk death to look into that place?" "_Quem nao arrisca nao ganha_, as the coronel would say--he who risks nothing gains nothing. I feel that we should visit that house. Something calls me back to it." Lourenço studied his partner a moment, then nodded slowly. But McKay interposed decided objection. "Too dangerous. Also unnecessary. We'll get Rand--if the man is Rand--through the chief. Your night spying might ruin everything and get you killed into the bargain. Nothing to gain and all to lose. Stay here." Pedro's eyes hardened. But it was Lourenço who answered.