Each one screamed: "For God's sake, kill me! kill me! Shoot me if--you want to, but let me down from here!" The only effect of this upon Barrett was to light up his brutal face with a leer of fiendish satisfaction.

He said to the guards with a gleeful wink: "By God, I'll learn these Yanks to be more afeard of me than of the old devil himself.

They'll soon understand that I'm not the man to fool with.

I'm old pizen, I am, when I git started.

Jest hear 'em squeal, won't yer ?" Then walking from one prisoner to another, he said: "D---n yer skins, ye'll dig tunnels, will ye?
Ye'll try to git out, and run through the country stealin' and carryin' off niggers, and makin' more trouble than yer d----d necks are worth.