If we were to say to him, 'We won't do these extra tasks; and if you touch one of us the whole lot will pitch into you,' what could he do then ?" "I will tell you what he could do, Sankey," Tom Room, a quiet, sensible boy, replied.

"If we were in a desert island it would be all well enough, he could not tyrannize over us then: but here it is different.
He would just put on his hat and go into the town, and in ten minutes he would be back again with the six constables, and if that wasn't enough he could get plenty of other men, and where would our fighting be then?
We should all get the most tremendous licking we have ever had, and get laughed at besides through the town for a pack of young fools." Ned broke into a good tempered laugh.
"Of course you are right, Room.

I only thought about Hathorn himself.
Still, it is horribly unfair.

I will do it today.

But if he goes on with it, as he threatens, I won't do it, let him do what he likes." For some days this state of things continued.