“You’d better not,” said Tom.
“I will!” protested Dave. “I will!”
“If we do,” said Tom, grimly, “that cove will kill us both. Besides we mightn’t be believed. An’ besides they might say we did it ourselves.”
“Us?” said Dave, a new horror overtaking him.
“Yes,” replied Tom; “an’ it’s ten to one we’d both get ’ung.”
“But we never did it,” cried Dave.
“No,” responded Tom; “but there’s many an innocent cove gets ’ung.”
“What’ll we do?” sobbed Dave. “It’s too horrible for anything. What will we do?”
“I dunno,” replied Tom, in a shaky voice. “I never reckoned on anything like this. I wouldn’t a’ come either if I had. I’d rather be larruped!”
“So would I,” moaned Dave, “I’d rather be whaled every day an’ twice on Sunday all me life. I would.”