How we cite our quotes: (Paragraph)
Quote #7
I dodged, and heard a heavy thud and a kind of a sigh from Bill, like a horse gives out when you take his saddle off. A rock the size of an egg had caught Bill just behind his left ear. He loosened himself all over and fell in the fire across the frying pan of hot water for washing the dishes. I dragged him out and poured cold water on his head for half an hour. (39)
Poor Bill really does get the brunt of Johnny's abuse. Sam always just manages to avoid getting seriously hurt. These two are definitely in over their heads.
Quote #8
"Sam," says Bill, "I suppose you'll think I'm a renegade, but I couldn't help it. I'm a grown person with masculine habits of self-defense, but there is a time when all systems of egotism fail. The boy is gone. I sent him home. All is off. There was martyrs in old times," goes on Bill, "that suffered death rather than give up the particular graft they enjoyed. None of 'em ever was subjugated to such supernatural tortures as I have been. I tried to be faithful to our plan, but there came a limit." (74)
Bill finally has had enough. He is struggling to begin to explain what he has endured in Sam's absence yet again, but it's the use of the phrase "supernatural tortures" that really gets a giggle, because up to this point, yes the kid is a terror, but is he inflicting "supernatural tortures"? Hyperbole is always good for a laugh.
Quote #9
I takes him by the neck of his clothes and drags him down the mountain. On the way he kicks my legs black and blue from the knees down; and I've got to have two or three bites on my thumb and hand cauterized. (76)
This is the one reference to Bill even making the attempt to stand up for himself. We get to giggle with Sam because we know that Bill has not succeeded at anything for his trouble—Johnny is still there, continuing his epic reign of terror.