A blow accompanied this. Ralph instinctively jerked away his head, and it fell on his sore shoulder. As a result of his exertions with the axe it was now puffed up, throbbing, and exquisitely painful. When Joe Mixer's fist descended on it, Ralph caught his breath with the pain.
Joe chuckled. "So that's the sore place, eh?"
He struck him again. Ralph took it with set teeth.
"Are you going to tell me where the girl is hidden, and the gold?" asked Joe.
Ralph kept silent.
"Answer me!" shouted Joe.
"That's a fool's question," said Ralph.
Joe dug his knuckles into Ralph's shoulder, and leaning the weight of his body on his arm, kneaded the throbbing place. Ralph had never conceived of pain like this. It turned him sick; cold perspiration sprang out all over him. He felt consciousness beginning to slip. He bit his lip to keep from betraying any sound.
The other men began to remonstrate. "You'll do for him," said Stack, "and we won't learn anything."
Joe left off with a shrug. "I have all night," he said,