human
Willie! Am I dreaming?
gpt
If you are, so must I be, replied his friend,
human
Come now, retorted Miles,
gpt
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?
human
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.
gpt
The way was simple enough, returned the other.
human
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!
gpt
Have you seen or heard anything of Stevenson?
human
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.