He made a droll grimace, with his tongue in his cheek; but he turned serious directly, as the savage convict roared at him:
“Look round, you fool! See if any one’s coming.”
The other two were startled for a moment, and looked round wildly. Then there was another grimace.
“There ain’t no one to be coming. Our bunny won’t show out of his hole after hearing that row; so you won’t have no chance of knocking him on the head to-day, mate. Here, I say, don’t choke all the life out of the boy.”
“What!” growled the ruffian. “Why, I’ll cut his very heart out if he don’t speak. Here, how many’s along with you?”
Nic made no answer, and the ruffian drew out a knife.
“Did you hear what I said?” he croaked, in a low, guttural tone. “Who’s along with you?”
“Don’t kill him,” said the other fellow, with his smooth aspect gone. “It’s murder. Take him to the edge yonder, and let him fall over by accident.”
“Yah!” cried the other man, making a grimace: “let him be. Here, young un, they won’t hurt yer. You and me’s old friends. But you must oblige me with them shoes, and that there nice warm jacket and clean shirt. Tain’t had one for weeks. And I’ll just trouble you for
