"_Si._ He brought many cartridges for them. They are to raid tribe houses of these people." "Capture women and run them into Peru?" "_Si._" José yawned as if speaking of a deal in salt fish. The Americans looked thoughtfully around the big house. They saw that every man near them was inspecting some kind of weapon--making sure that bow cords were unfrayed, that arrow heads and spear points were firm, that the long blowguns had received no cast from suspension, and that darts were absolutely straight and true. The strong but cruel faces of the warriors were stamped with malignant hatred of the Red Bone tribe and the Blackbeard who enslaved their women. The command to prepare for a march at dawn had not been withdrawn. "We'll be expected to go, too, and I'd sure like another crack at Umanuh, not to mention the Schwandorf outfit," said Knowlton, "but we have friend Rand on our hands now, and our first duty is to get him out of here safely." "Aw, Looey, have a heart! I 'ain't had no action since that li'l' scrap down the river, and I got to have some excitement before we blow. What's more, we can't beat it now, with Monitaya dependin' on us to fight on his side. He'd git sore, and I don't blame him." His superior officers and the Brazilians frowned. Every man of them itched to close with the enemy in one final decisive battle. Yet-- "What 'll we do with Rand?" Knowlton voiced the general thought. The green eyes of the Raposa turned to him, rested long on his, traveled deliberately along the other faces. And then, to the utter astonishment of all, the dumb spoke. "I'll fight," said Rand. Speechless, the men around him stared. His face was inscrutable as ever, his eyes fathomless, his voice flat and toneless. But slowly he raised his hands as if holding a bow; twitched his right thumb and forefinger in the motion of loosing a shaft; let the hands sink. His gaze calmly lifted from theirs and dwelt on the farthest wall. Not another word did he speak. "Begorry! there's yer answer!" triumphed Tim. "He says, 'Fight!' And I bet he can sling a wicked bow and arrer, at that. Don't ye s'pose he wants a crack at them Red Bones, after the way they used him?" "I think, comrades, that the man has settled the matter for us," Pedro seconded. "None of us wants to run away; and, as Tim says, we are expected to help Monitaya. We should be considered cowards, worse than dogs, if we refused. If we do not fight the Red Bones we may have to fight these Mayorunas, who now are our friends. We must stay." McKay nodded, still studying the expressionless countenance of Rand. "That's settled," he announced, crisply. "Now, Lourenço, find out Monitaya's plan of battle." The chief had finished his examination of the women and Lourenço promptly put the question. Monitaya laconically replied.