The sight of Braxton Wyatt's wrath pleased him, but he put out his hand in a detaining gesture.
"Sit down!" he said in a tone so sharp that Wyatt obeyed.

"This is no time for personal quarrels.

As I see it, an embassy has come to us and we must discuss matters of state.

Is it not so, Senor, Senor--" "Cotter! Paul Cotter is my name." Paul felt the sneer in the Spaniard's last words, but he hid his resentment.
"Then your proposition is this," continued Alvarez, "that I and my men have nothing to do with the Indians, that we make no treaty, no agreement with them, that we abandon this country and go back to New Orleans.

This you propose despite the fact that the region in which we now are belongs to Spain." "I would not put it in quite that fashion," replied Paul calmly.
"I suggest instead that you be our friend.