midday
He was quite disgusted , for at least five minutes , but it is reasonable to suppose that a dog of his intelligence would brighten up when he heard the wholly unlooked-for story which Christobal was translating to Courtenay , word for word , as it was dragged hesitatingly out of Suarez . The Argentine miner had been badly injured during the struggle for possession of the promenade deck . Owing to loss of consciousness , supplemented by an awkward fall , he might have choked to death had he not been rescued within a few minutes . He was very ill all night , and it was not until midday that he recovered sufficient strength to enable him to question the Indians on board . Courtenay wished specially to find out what chance , if any , there was of the Alaculof attack being renewed . When Christobal assured him that Suarez might safely leave his bunk , he asked the doctor to bring the Spaniard to the fore-cabin , in which the wounded savages lay under an armed guard . It was obvious that some of the maimed wretches recognized Suarez , notwithstanding his changed appearance , the instant he spoke to them .