They're more complicated than buggies.' That made me mad, sir, and I says, 'That's no way to speak to your Sergeant.' 'You go to the devil,' says Lawrence.

'You'll get ten days in the guard house for that,' I says.

Then Lawrence seemed to grow crazy, all at once.

'Yes,' he shouts, like a lunatic, 'that's a fit punishment for a gentleman.

You'll see to it, Sergeant, that I get ten days in the guard house, and my wife breakin' her heart with shame, and the other children tauntin' my boy!' With that, sir, he hit me on the side of the head with his fist.