"On the hand."
"Let us see the mark!"
The boys arose and walked up to their friend, who bent over the fire, held his hand close to his face, turning it over and over and scrutinizing it with the closest attention. Concluding he was mistaken, he exchanged it for its fellow, which was subjected to an equally severe cross-examination. Still nothing confirmatory of his words could be found.
The amazed Irishman now held up both his hands, turning them over and over and pressing them close to his face.
"Do yees saa anything?" he abruptly asked, thrusting them toward the boys.
They went through the form of a search for a scratch or a bite, but declared themselves unable to discover any.
"Don't you feel any pain?" asked Howard.
"I thought I did," replied Tim, with a serious, puzzled look upon his countenance.
"In what part of your body?"
"Whisht!"