“I think that gesture is so construed all over the world, isn’t it?” “Quite so. Well, what next?” “You see, Carter, I knew by their appearance that they were robbers. It did strike me for an instant that the whole thing was some huge joke which somebody had[14] put up on me, but I was quickly undeceived on that point.” [14] “What was their appearance?” “Here is where I am going to test your credulity, old man. But my wife and my friends can testify that I tell you the truth.” “So they saw the pirates, also?” “Yes, as you shall hear.” “Well, about their appearance, or how they appeared, eh? That part of the comedy seemed to impress you.” “It did. And it was no comedy, either, I’ll beg you to understand! Carter, the pirate chief was dressed in red, from head to feet, and he looked as if he might have stepped down out of a Shakespeare tragedy, as far as the cut of his costume was concerned. I think if you were to dress Romeo in red, you would about get the proper idea. Eh, count? What do you say?” “I think you have given a very good description,” replied the count. “And the other six?” asked Nick. “Were they dressed the same?” “No, indeed! They were only common truck alongside of their master, I suppose. At all events, they appeared in ordinary black. Every man jack of them wore a half-mask over his features. The chief’s mask was red, like his costume; those of the men were black, the same as their costumes. They also wore rather tight-fitting caps on their heads, but the chief wore a regular Romeo hat, with an eagle’s feather stuck in it.” “H’m!” said Nick. “It makes quite a picture.” [15] [15] “You’d have thought so if you had been in my place, Carter! I didn’t know whether I was scared, amused, angry, or bored; and I didn’t have time to analyze my sentiments, either, for when the chief touched his lips with his fingers, to signal me that he preferred that I should keep quiet, he remarked, quite
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