From that danger Niclaus felt certain he could always defend himself.
"The couple were alone together loafing in the common-room of that infamous hotel when Fector turned up.

After some beating about the bush, for he was doubtful how far he could trust these two, he repeated what he had overheard in the tiffin-rooms.
"His tale did not have much success till he came to mention the creek and Bamtz's name.

Niclaus, sailing about like a native in a prau, was, in his own words, 'familiar with the locality.' The huge Frenchman, walking up and down the room with his stumps in the pockets of his jacket, stopped short in surprise.

'_Comment_?
_Bamtz_! _Bamtz_!' "He had run across him several times in his life.

He exclaimed: '_Bamtz_! _Mais je ne connais que ca_!' And he applied such a contemptuously indecent epithet to Bamtz that when, later, he alluded to him as '_une chiffe_' (a mere rag) it sounded quite complimentary.