"I'm going to beat it, you know.

I don't want him to give me a wallop.

Hullo! How he stumbles! Good Lord, if he could only break his neck!" At other times, when Coupeau came straight up to her without giving her time to run off, she crouched down, made herself small and muttered: "Just you hide me, you others.

He's looking for me, and he promised he'd knock my head off if he caught me hanging about." Then when the drunkard had passed them she drew herself up again, and all the others followed her with bursts of laughter.

He'll find her--he will--he won't! It was a true game of hide and seek.