| 73 | 74 | 75 | 76 | 77 |
| 1 | 88 | 177 | 265 | 353 |
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"See here," he said. "Y' have done me ill enough. Go, then. Go your
way in fair wise; or, whether I will or not, I must even drive you to
it."
"
Well," said Matcham, doggedly, "y' are the stronger. Do your worst. I
shall not leave to follow thee, Dick, unless thou makest me," he added.
Dick was almost beside himself. It went against his heart to beat a
creature so defenceless; and, for the life of him, he knew no other way
to rid himself of this unwelcome and, as he began to think, perhaps
untrue companion.
"Y' are mad, I think," he cried. "Fool-fellow, I am hasting to your
foes; as fast as foot can carry me, go I thither."
"I care not, Dick," replied the lad. "If y' are bound to die, Dick, I'll
die too. I would liever go with you to prison than to go free without
you."
"
Well," returned the other, "I may stand no longer prating. Follow me,
if ye must; but if ye play me false, it shall but little advance you,
mark ye that. Shalt have a quarrel in thine inwards, boy."
So saying, Dick took once more to his heels, keeping in the margin of the
thicket and looking briskly about him as he went. At a good pace he
rattled out of the dell, and came again into the more open quarters of
the wood. To the left a little eminence appeared, spotted with golden
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