It was a horrid sound and it worried me. I had a little pocket
electric torch and I flashed it on Wake's face. If he was crying, it
was with dry eyes.

'What are you going to do with me?' he asked.

'That depends,' I said grimly.

'Well, I'm ready. I may be a poor creature, but I'm damned if
I'm afraid of you, or anything like you.' That was a brave thing to
say, for it was a lie; his teeth were chattering.

'I'm ready for a deal,' I said.

'You won't get it,' was his answer. 'Cut my throat if you mean to,
but for God's sake don't insult me ... I choke when I think about you.
You come to us and we welcome you, and receive you in our houses,
and tell you our inmost thoughts, and all the time you're a bloody
traitor. You want to sell us to Germany. You may win now, but by
God! your time will come! That is my last word to you ... you swine!'

The hammer stopped beating in my head. I saw myself suddenly
as a blind, preposterous fool. I strode over to Wake, and he shut
his eyes as if he expected a blow. Instead I unbuckled the straps
which held his legs and arms.

'Wake, old fellow,' I said, 'I'm the worst kind of idiot. I'll eat all
the dirt you want. I'll give you leave to knock me black and blue,
and I won't lift a hand. But not now. Now we've another job on
hand. Man, we're on the same side and I never knew it. It's too bad