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Iwouldnt have the bastard flogged for all the rum in Bengal.
Gursey took the
end of his beard between his teeth. The four figures came through the door
again, supporting Petebetween them.
The dogs were in the pens drivingthe sheep
out. With immenserelief he escaped from the sight of the boys thin shoulders
shakenby sobs.
Listen, McGovern began again, reseating himself and setting
hisback against the table.
Who could trouble you more than these wild beasts,
then?
Three times he gets out and three times Geogartysends him back. Red
followed him anxiously, smacking his lips and muttering. I laid thetape round
them a bit, he said off-hand.
The men hesitated a second, then turned and fled
for the hut,leaving Pete in Reds hands.
Cabell watched him rise and disappear
on the other side of thefires.
Even worsewas the dung fire burning in the
middle of the humpy to keep outmosquitoes.
He backed slowly away for ten yards
before he couldmake his legs turn and run. His body was horribly cutabout from
the nape of his neck to his waist. The flames leapt up, tarnishing foran
instant the yellow light in the hut.
But its no good to try and gammon me,
Pete, he said, as thougharguing with a child. He was roused from deep thought
by McGovern speaking close to hisear.
Its all poverty and jailsfor us in
England.
He fidgeted with the meat-knife for a second or two, then dug itdeep
into the table.
I dont know what youre driving at, he said,then jumped
up.
Nobody could be so brutal,not even in this country. You wont be getting any
extra bits out ofthe lags tucker this week, will you? In an instantdrops of
sweat were channelling the down of his cheek. Before this cool bravado,
expressed in bantering smiles,his courage ebbed out. McGovern kept his eyes
fixed on Cabell, and his words took aspecial meaning from them. Through the
window Cabell saw the first tender radiance of therising moon. The old song
seemed to convey more to Red than Coyles words. Inside the dark homestead humpy
McGovern slept as he always did,sucking up great gulps of air.
Didnt you think
it would be nice to murder the sod that sooled thecat on you, eh?
They rubbed
their chins thoughtfully, peered at each other, grinneddoubtfully.
Look you
here, my boy, hes a red-hot man, Joe.
Iknow what this means, he said,
breathless. So Geogarty starts sending Joe on messageswherever this Lord Muck
is.
McGovern smoked in silence, watching him.
Another scream, longer and wilder
than the first.
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