Nothing is more certain than that none of us would have permitted
the girl to be thrashed. I doubt if even Rustum Khan, no admirer
of gipsies or unveiled women, would have tolerated one blow. But
Will was nearest, and he is most amazing quick when his nervous New
England temper is aroused. He had the whip out of Gregor's hand,
and stood on guard between him and the girl before one of us had
time to move. The old Turk closed his eyes again, and sighed resignedly.

"Our preux chevalier--preux but damned imprudent!" murmured Fred.
"Let's hope there's a gipsy here with guts enough to fight for title
to the girl. It looks to me as if Will has claimed her by patteran*
law. The only man with right to say whether or not a woman shall
be thrashed is her owner. Once that right is established--"

---------------
* Patteran, a gipsy word: trail.
---------------

"Touch her and I'll break your neck!" warned Will, without undue
emotion, but truthfully beyond a shadow of a doubt.

The gipsy stood still, simmering, and taking the measure of the capable
American muscles interposed between him and his legal prey. Every
gipsy eye in the room was on him, and it was perfectly obvious that
whatever the eventual solution of the impasse, the one thing he could
not do was retreat. We were fewer in number, but much better armed
than the gipsy party, so that it was unlikely they would rally to
their man's aid. Kagig was an unknown quantity, but except that
his black eyes glittered rather more brightly than usual he made