"'Friends'!" snapped Dennis. "'Friends'! I think she's the first cousin, and maybe she's the sister, of ould Satan himself. You don't catch me goin' anywhere near that place again. If she thinks I came down here to set such nagers as she free, she's very much mistaken. No, sor! Niver again! If she should run after me any more, she'll only reach me through me dead body."
"But suppose, Dennis," laughed Noel, "that you found another pig somewhere. Which would you do, drop the pig or keep off the fat darky?"
"I'd keep off the darky, anyway, though I don't think I should let go me pig. 'T was good of you, Noel, to give me your word that you would niver tell anybody in the camp about it."
"About what?" inquired Noel innocently.
"About what took place the other day when that nager woman chased me."
"When did I promise?"
"Shure, you promised right there where we were whin I got away from her," said Dennis, as he stopped abruptly and looked into the face of his companion.
"But I don't remember making any such promise," said Noel slowly.
"Indade, an' you did," declared Dennis. "You gave me your word, and your word is better nor your bond. You haven't breathed a word of it to a livin' soul."
"How do you know I haven't?"