I almost wished, now that Covey was coming, they would do something in keeping with the character I had given them; but no, they had already had their spree, and they could afford now to be extra good, readily obeying my orders, and seeming to understand them quite as well as I did myself.

On reaching the woods, my tormentor--who seemed all the way to be remarking upon the good behavior of his oxen--came up to me, and ordered me to stop the cart, accompanying the same with the threat that he would now teach me how to break gates, and idle away my time, when he sent me to the woods.
Suiting the action to the word, Covey paced off, in his own wiry fashion, to a large, black gum tree, the young shoots of which are generally used for ox _goads_, they being exceedingly tough.

Three of these _goads_, from four to six feet long, he cut off, and trimmed up, with his large jack-knife.

This done, he ordered me to take off my clothes.

To this unreasonable order I made no reply, but sternly refused to take off my clothing.