Our boys were disgusted by the cringing attitude of Pete Deveaux's cronies.  Two of them were larger than the Frenchman, yet they seemed to be afraid of him.  John saw that nothing was to be gained at this time by continuing the argument, so he pulled his comrades away with this parting and significant warning to their rivals: "Well, Deveaux, we'll let this drop now; but we certainly hope that you will take pains to see that nothing more of so strongly a suspicious character occurs on this trip!"