"Come closer, Eph--not a whisper, remember, or I'll cut the hide off your back in strips.

Tell the others what I say--if a word of this gets into the big house or around the cabins I'll know who to punish.

Now two or three of you go into the greenhouse, pick up one of those wide planks, and lift this gentleman onto it so we can carry him.

Take him into my office, doctor, and lay him on my lounge.

He'd better die there than here.