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“We banded ourselves together, some boldly, some in jest and some almost in fear: and of the number of these latter, the reluctant Indians who were afraid to seem studious or lacking in robustness, I was one. The adventures related in the literature of the Wild West were remote from my nature…”
The “we” in the above quote refers to the schoolboys who are bonded by their love of adventure fiction and their commitment to keeping said fiction out of sight of their teacher, Father Butler. The narrator explains that he is among the “reluctant” boys who are afraid that they could be caught and continues to say that the heroism displayed in adventure fiction is far removed from his timid personality. This is an important moment of characterization because the reader learns that the narrator is not as adventurous and as brave as he would like to be.
“My voice had an accent of forced bravery in it and I was ashamed of my paltry stratagem. I had to call the name again before Mahony saw me and hallooed in answer. How my heart beat as he came running across the field to me! He ran as if to bring me aid. And I was penitent; for in my heart I had always despised him a little.”
These are the final lines in the short story. The narrator has finally managed to withdraw from the old man and he calls out to Mahony so the two of them can escape. However, he is embarrassed that it is possible to detect the fear in his voice. His humiliation continues when Mahony runs up as if to save him. This final moment complements the previous quote because it solidifies the fact that the narrator does not possess the heroic qualities that he so admires in fiction.
