_394	LIFS ON THE MISSISSIPPI.
Why, man, you can take a defunct that you couldn't give away ; and
get your em-bamming traps around you and go to work; and in a
couple of hours he is worth a cool six hundred—that's what he's
worth. There ain't anything equal to it but trading rats for di'monds
in time of famine. Well, don't you see, when there's an epidemic,
people don't wait to embam. No, indeed they don't; and it hurts
the business like helitk, as we say—hurts it like hell-th, health, see?
—Our little joke in the trade. Well, I must be going. Give me a
caH whenever you need any—I mean, when you're going by, some-
time.'
In his joyful high spirits, he did the exaggerating himself, if any
has been done. I have not enlarged on him.
With the above brief references to inhumation, let us leave the
subject. As for me, I hope to be cremated. I made that remark to
my pastor once, who said, with what he seemed to think was an
impressive manner—
< I wouldn't worry about that, if J had your chances/
Much he knew about it—the family all so opposed to it