What does the reported use of the words dead men dont bite in these lines suggest about the character billy? billy was the man for that, said israel. dead men dont bite, says he. well, hes dead now hisself; he knows the long and short on it now; . . (from treasure island by robert louis stevenson) he led a rough life. he was a jovial character. he did not like to think about the future. his friends had died of old age.