He made no answer, but slipped his right hand forward toward the trigger of his rifle, though the barrel of the rifle still rested in the hollow of his left arm.
"Drop un!" Eli commanded, observing the movement.

"Drop that gun on the ground!" Indian Jake stood like a statue, eyeing Eli, but he made no movement.
"I said drop un!" Eli's voice was cold and hard as steel.

He was in deadly earnest.

"If you tries to raise un or don't drop un before I count ten I'll put a bullet in your heart!" Indian Jake might have been of chiselled stone.

He did not move a muscle or wink an eye-lash but his small eyes were centred on every motion Eli made.