This way was not very long; a quarter of a mile, Evan guessed. They came to a stop, and the two men climbed out over Evan. He was unceremoniously dragged out feet foremost. They carried him a short distance—Evan heard grass or verdure swishing around their legs. They entered a house and laid him down on a floor, a rough worn floor.
Here Evan heard a new voice, a woman's voice with slurred accents and a fat woman's laugh. The strong-voiced man said:
"Here's a guest for you, Aunt Liza."
"Lawsy! Lawsy! What divelment you been up to now!"
A general laugh went round. To the bound Evan it had a blackguardedly and infamous sound.
He was abruptly turned over on his face. While one man held the folds of the comforter tightly round his head, the other two knelt on his back and, pulling his arms behind him, tied his wrists together. Evan put up the best struggle he could against such heavy odds. The man who had taken the principal part against him laughed.
"You see, there's life in him yet," he said.
After his wrists they tied his ankles, and got up from him. The comforter was still over Evan's head, and he was powerless to throw it off. The same voice said:
"After we're out of the room you can uncover his head, and give him air. And feed him when dinner's ready."
A door closed.