They both knew to what he was referring. Adam wondered how something that had mattered so much was completely unimportant. He had never been able to bring himself to forgive his brothers but now, his lips hardly moving, he murmured, ‘Don’t take on, Walt. Olive’s a good woman and the bairn’s a joy, and you didn’t know how it was going to pan out. Forget it. I have. Water under the bridge. But promise me you’ll tell her. Promise.’

‘Aye, aye, lad. Course I promise. Lie quiet now. Hear that tapping? I wasn’t sure a minute ago but there it is again. They’re coming. It won’t be long now.’

The pain had gone and in its place was a sense of peace Adam could only wonder at. He was more tired than he had ever been in his life and a buzzing in his ears was making it difficult to think, but if this was the way God was going to take him he was thankful for it. He roused himself enough to say, ‘Walt, I want to pray but I forget the words.’

‘Pray? Well, aye. There’s worse things we can do while we wait, eh, lad?’ Walter’s voice was over-hearty. ‘Remember when we were bairns how Mam made us kneel every night by our beds, bless her, and say the Lord’s Prayer afore she’d let us up off our knees? Didn’t matter how cold we were, we still had to say it and slow, mind. No gabbling. Here goes then. “Our Father, which art in heaven. Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done . . .”’

When Walter came to the end of the prayer he became aware that the tapping he had thought he’d heard for a while was louder, and now he could definitely hear voices too. Softly, he said, ‘Adam, lad, listen. I told you, didn’t I? We’ll be out soon. Adam?’ He looked down into his brother’s face in the dim light. There was a smile about Adam’s lips and his eyes were closed. For a moment Walter breathed a sigh of relief. He was sleeping. Just sleeping.

One of the other two men left alive crawled across to them and then brought his ear close to Adam’s chest. He remained still for a while before raising his head and then shaking it slowly. ‘I’m sorry, Walt.’