Nothing revealed the presence of the combatants.

They began to doubt the affirmation of the bushman, and Ardan was going to renounce the pursuit as useless, when all at once Maston stopped.
"Hush!" said he.

"There is some one yonder!" "Some one ?" answered Michel Ardan.
"Yes! a man! He does not seem to move.

His rifle is not in his hand.
What can he be doing ?" "But do you recognise him ?" asked Michel Ardan.
"Yes, yes! he is turning round," answered Maston.
"Who is it ?" "Captain Nicholl!" "Nicholl!" cried Michel Ardan, whose heart almost stopped beating.
"Nicholl disarmed! Then he had nothing more to fear from his adversary ?" "Let us go to him," said Michel Ardan; "we shall know how it is." But his companion and he had not gone fifty steps when they stopped to examine the captain more attentively.

They imagined they should find a bloodthirsty and revengeful man.