Although these words were uttered with a smiling air, the count was not deceived as to the resolute purpose of the man with whom he was dealing.
"Oh señor," he said, "you know us very badly, if you suppose us capable of asking impossibilities of you, still as our position is good, we wish to take advantage of it."
"And I think you perfectly right, caballero; but as you are a Frenchman and your countrymen never doubt anything, I thought it my duty to make this observation to you."
"Be convinced señor," the count answered, while affecting the same tranquillity as the other, "that we shall only demand reasonable conditions."
"You demand," Cuéllar repeated, laying a stress on these two words.
"Yes: hence we will not oblige you to leave the hacienda, because we know that if you went out today, you would recommence the attack tomorrow."
"You are full of penetration, señor: so pray come to the facts."
"In the first place you will give up the poor peons who have escaped the massacre."
"With their arms, horses and the little they possess."
"Don Andrés de la Cruz, his daughter, my friend, myself and Leo Carral, the majordomo, and all the women and children sheltered in this room, will be at liberty to retire whenever we please without fear of being disturbed."
Cuéllar made a grimace. "What next?" he said.
"My friend and I are strangers, Frenchmen, and Mexico is not at war, as far as I am aware, with our country."
"It might happen," Cuéllar said maliciously.
"Perhaps so, but in the meanwhile we are at peace, and have a claim to your protection."
"That is true, but we had a right to defend ourselves: we were attacked and were compelled to fight."
"We therefore request the right to take away with us on mules, everything that belongs to us."
"Nearly so; do you accept these conditions?"
"Good, now there only remains a slight formality to fulfil."
"As I told you, hostages: you can perfectly understand, señor, that I would not confide my life and that of my companions, I will not say to you, for I hold your word and believe it good, but to your soldiers, who, like the worthy guerilleros they are, would have not the slightest scruple, if we had the madness to place ourselves in their power, about plundering us and perhaps worse: you do not command regular troops, señor, and however strict may be the discipline you maintain in your cuadrilla, I doubt whether it goes so far as to make your prisoners respected, when you are not there to protect them by your presence."