"I'm a-holding on," he observed gruffly at last, as the other continued to blink at him with red eyes and say nothing.

Neuman bent over to whisper gruffly in Dorn's ear.

I pulled her up, and made her limp after me through several halls to the inner court, and the well, where I set her upon the weedy margin, took her foot in my lap, examined it, drew water, washed it, and bandaged it with a strip torn from my caftan-hem, now and again speaking gruffly to her, so that she might no more follow me.