“Come, come, no larking with me,” said the gruff voice. “Speak honestly, or I’ll brain you.”
“You’re very kind and obliging, I dare say,” said Tim, with chattering jaws. “But, upon my word, I have only one name, and that is Tim.”
“You’re much different, then, to a young chap as we lately collared, and is now in our custody, for he boasts of four names.”
“You don’t say so?”
“But, I do, though; you shall make his acquaintance shortly—you’ll make excellent comrades. Our hanging days are only once a month now, so you may as well make up your mind to ‘swing’ when he does.”
“Thank’ee,” said Tim, gloomily; “you are very kind—very kind, indeed. But, if it’s all the same to you, sir, whoever are you? I’d rather be swung up the next month after him with the four names.”
The unknown laughed gruffly until he made the cavern echo again with his boisterous merriment.
“When were you born?” he asked.
“I wasn’t born at all,” said Tim, innocently.
“Not born at all? Why, the rascal is making fun of me.”