MacSwain sat up and looked around, bleeding from nose, mouth and head.

Noonan roared at him:

“Come here, you.”

MacSwain said, “Yes, chief,” scrambled up and ran over to the desk.

Noonan said: “Come through or I’ll kill you.”

MacSwain said:

“Yes, chief. It was like she said, only that rock wasn’t worth no grand. But she give me it and the two hundred to keep my mouth shut, because I got there just when she asks him, ‘Who did it, Tim?’ and he says, ‘Max!’ He says it kind of loud and sharp, like he wanted to get it out before he died, because he died right then, almost before he’d got it out. That’s the way it was, chief, but the rock wasn’t worth no⁠—”