“‘Who is your master?’ the man asked.
“‘Mr. Gossett,’ the Son of Ben Ali answered.
“‘What is your name?’
“‘They call me Aaron.’
“‘You are the boy he bought not long ago.’
“‘Yes, sir.’
“‘Wait a moment.’ The man went into another room, and when he appeared again he had a shotgun in his hands. My hide is not very thick, and so I went under the steps. The man seemed to be mad. The Son of Ben Ali had some such idea, for he asked:—
“‘What are you going to do with the gun, sir?’
“‘Get the truth out of you.’
“‘A dead man will neither lie nor tell the truth,’ said the Son of Ben Ali. His voice sounded as if he might be laughing, but I was under the steps and couldn’t see.