“Will you remember now where it is?”
“The gold—oh, yes, gentlemen,” dazedly, “I’m sorry, but I have no gold.”.
“Swing the damned rebel once more.”
It was really useless, for he was insensible, and when he fell he looked like a dead man. His withered old hand and his thin gray hair and his weak aged heart could not stand much. He was totally unconscious.
“We nearly went too far that time, boys.”
When he came to, they were bathing his face in the brook.
“Oh, yes,” he said, involuntarily, “the gold. It is as I have said—only the watch I told you of at first. I am an old man now and have no use for gold.”
So they brought him back to the house.
“Old woman, fork out that watch.”
“I will not do it.”