Deane and Adams had put into that early revolver of theirs, and he could not have come down much quicker with my bullet in his spine.
"Now, then," I said, "what the devil do you mean by shamming deaf and dumb ?" "I niver said I was owt o' t' sort," he whimpered, cowering behind the chair in a sullen ague.
"But you acted it, and I've a jolly good mind to shoot you dead!" (Remember, I was so weak myself that I thought my arm would break from presenting my five chambers and my ten-inch barrel; otherwise I should be sorry to relate how I bullied that mouse of a man.) "I may let you off," I continued, "if you answer questions.

Where's your wife ?" "Eh, she'll be back directly!" said Braithwaite, with some tact; but his look was too cunning to give the warning weight.

"I've a bullet to spare for her," said I, cheerfully; "now, then, where is she ?" "Gone wi' the oothers, for owt I knaw." "And where are the others gone ?" "Where they allus go, ower to t' say." "Over to the sea, eh?
We're getting on! What takes them there ?" "That's more than I can tell you, sir," said Braithwaite, with so much emphasis and so little reluctance as to convince me that for once at least he had spoken the truth.

There was even a spice of malice in his tone.

I began to see possibilities in the little beast.
"Well," I said, "you're a nice lot! I don't know what your game is, and don't want to.