"That's what puzzles myself, Jack," said Moses, shaking hands warmly with Miles. "I've done nothing that I know of except sell beans and oil. It's true I burned 'em sometimes a bit, but they'd hardly put a fellow in jail for that--would they? However, I'm glad they've done it, whatever the reason, seeing that it has brought us three together again. But, I say," continued Moses, while a look of anxiety came over his innocent face, "what can have become of our other comrades?" "You may well ask that, lad. I've asked the same question of myself for many a day, but have never bin able to get from myself a satisfactory answer. I'm wery much afeared that we'll never see 'em again." It seemed almost to be a spring-tide in the affairs of the trio at that time, for while the seaman was speaking--as if to rebuke his want of faith--the door opened and their comrade Armstrong walked in. For a few moments they were all rendered speechless! Then Miles sprang up, seized his friend by both shoulders, and gazed into his face; it was a very thin and careworn face at that time, as if much of the bloom of youth had been wiped from it for ever. "Willie! Am I dreaming?" exclaimed Miles. "If you are, so must I be," replied his friend, "for when I saw you last you had not taken to half-nakedness as a costume!" "Come now," retorted Miles, "you have not much to boast of in that way yourself." "There you are wrong, Miles, for I have to boast that I made my garment myself. True, it's only a sack, but I cut the hole in the bottom of it for my head with my own hand, and stitched on the short sleeves with a packing-needle. But, I say, what's been the matter with Molloy? Have they been working you too hard, Jack?" "No, Willum, no, I can't exactly say that, but they've bin hangin' me too hard. I'll tell 'ee all about it in coorse o' time. Man alive! but they _have_ took the flesh off your bones somehow; let's see--no, your neck's all right. Must have bin some other way." "The way was simple enough," returned the other. "When they separated us all at first, they set me to the hardest work they could find--to dig, draw water, carry burdens that a horse might object to, sweep, and clean up; in fact, everything and anything, and they've kep' us hard at it ever since. I say _us_, because Rattlin' Bill Simkin was set to help me after the first day, an' we've worked all along together. Poor Simkin, there ain't much rattle in him now, except his bones. I don't know why they sent me here and not him. And I can't well make out whether I'm sent here for extra punishment or as a favour!" "Have you seen or heard anything of Stevenson?" asked Moses. "I saw him once, about a week ago, staggering under a great log--whether in connection with house-builders or not I can't tell. It was only for a minute, and I got a tremendous cut across the back with a cane for merely trying to attract his attention."