18/24 I will spare none of them except the girl, whom perhaps I will take as a wife. As to you, I will not yet say what I will do with you." Now my first impulse was to refuse this monstrous wager, which meant that the lives of a number of people were to be set against my skill in shooting. But young Thomas Halstead, guessing the words that were about to break from me, said in English: "Accept unless you are a fool. If you don't he will cut the throats of every one of them and stick your girl into the emposeni" (that is harem), "while you will become a prisoner as I am." These were words that I could not resent or neglect, so although despair was in my heart, I said coolly: "Be it so, O king. |