Farquhar wasn't executed.
Answer:
The story is told primarily in first-person point of view, and this allows the narrative style to reflect the narrator's thoughts as they move from rational and coherent to increasing fragmentation
Explanation:
'Knock on wood' is an idiom meaning to say for something not to happen, or maybe after it happened.
For example:
"We will win this basketball game, knock on wood."
In this case, he means that he doesn't want the opposite to happen; losing.