He cursed her when he saw its size, but all the same he held out his hand for it eagerly and drank its contents, shutting his eyes with satisfaction and licking his lips.
All this time she was steadying the boat by holding on to a tree with a strong arm.
"Now it's hard on you, father, but you'll have to stay here another night.

Down at The Mills they're watching for you, and it would be sure death for you to try and get through the swamp, even if I could take you in the boat to the edge anywhere." The man, who had been entirely absorbed with eating and drinking and stretching himself, now gave a low howl of anguish; then he struggled to his knees and shook his fist in her face.

"By -- -- I'll throw you out of this 'ere boat, I will; what do yer come tellin' me such a thing as that for?
Don't yer know I'd liefer die--don't yer know that ?" He brought his fist nearer and nearer to her eyes.

"Don't yer know that ?" It appeared that he would have struck her, but by a dexterous twist of her body and a pull upon the tree she jerked the boat so that he lost his balance, not entirely, but enough to make him right himself with care and sit down again, realising for the time being that it was she who was mistress of this question--who should be thrown out of the boat and drowned.
"Of course I'll row you to The Mills, if it's to jail you want to go; but Walker is pretty bad, they say.

I think it'll be murder they'll bring you up for; and it ain't no sort of use trying to prove that you didn't do it!" The miserable man put his dirty knotted hands before his face and howled again.