white with fear, for Lancy was holding the knife-point at his throat.
'Stir an inch,' says Lancy, 'and aw'll pin ye to the lid o' hell.'

"Three minutes by the clock he knelt there on Faddo's chest, the
knife-point touching the bone in's throat. Not one of us stirred, but
just stood lookin', and my own heart beat so hard it hurt me, and my
uncle steadyin' himself against the dresser. At last Lancy threw the
knife away into the fire.

"'Coward!' he said. 'A man would ha' taken the knife. Did you think aw
was goin' to gie my neck to the noose just to put your knife to proper
use? But don't stir till aw gie you the word, or aw'll choke the breath
o' life out o' ye.'

"At that Faddo sprung to clinch Laney's arms, but Laney's fingers caught
him in the throat, and I thought surely Faddo was gone, for his tongue
stood out a finger-length, and he was black in the face.

"'For God's sake, Lancy,' said my uncle, steppin' forward, 'let him go.'

"At that Lancy said: 'He's right enough. It's not the first time aw've
choked a coward. Throw cold water on him and gi' 'im brandy.'

"Sure enough, he wasn't dead. Lancy stood there watchin' us while we
fetched Faddo back, and I tell you, that was a narrow squeak for him.
When he got his senses again, and was sittin' there lookin' as if he'd
been hung and brought back to life, Lancy says to him: 'There, Jim Faddo,
aw've done wi' you as a man, and at twelve o'clock aw'll begin wi' you as
King's officer.' And at that, with a good-night to my uncle and all of
us, he turns on his heels and leaves the Book-in-Hand.