They had long and excited arguments as to which were the most effective means of punishment, the rope's ends and cart whips such as Zerkow used, or the fists and backs of hair-brushes affected by McTeague.

Maria contended that the lash of the whip hurt the most; Trina, that the butt did the most injury.
Maria showed Trina the holes in the walls and the loosened boards in the flooring where Zerkow had been searching for the gold plate.

Of late he had been digging in the back yard and had ransacked the hay in his horse-shed for the concealed leather chest he imagined he would find.
But he was becoming impatient, evidently.
"The way he goes on," Maria told Trina, "is somethun dreadful.

He's gettun regularly sick with it--got a fever every night--don't sleep, and when he does, talks to himself.

Says 'More'n a hundred pieces, an' every one of 'em gold.