312 XJfJB ON THE MISSISSIPPI.
feebly tilted his head, in a meaning way, toward the corpse that lay
Dearest him.
* Dead ?' I asked. * Failed to escape \—caught in the act and
shot!'
Negative shake of the head.
' How, then ?'
Again the man tried to do something with his hands. I watched
closely, but could not guess the intent. I "bent over and watched still
more intently. He had twisted a thumb around and was weakly
punching at his breast with it.
* Ah—stabbed, do you mean % *
Affirmative nod, accompanied by a spectral smile of such peculiar
devilishness, that it struck an awakening light through my dull brain,
and I cried—
* Did / stab him, mistaking him for you 1—for that stroke was
meant for none but you/
The affirmative nod of the re-dying rascal was as joyous as his
failing strength was able to put into its expression.
* O, miserable, miserable me, to slaughter the pitying soul that
stood a friend to my darlings when they were helpless, and would
have saved them if he could! miserable, oh, miserable, miserable
me!'
I fancied I heard the muffled gurgle of a mocking laugh. I took
my face out of my hands, and saw my enemy sinking back upon his
inclined board.
He was a satisfactory long time dying. He had a wonderful
vitality, an astonishing constitution. Yes, he was a pleasant long
time at it. I got a chair and a newspaper, and sat down by him and
read. Occasionally I took a sip of brandy. This was necessary, on
account of the cold. But I did it partly because I saw, that along
at first, whenever I reached for the bottle, he thought I was going to
give Mm some. I read aloud: mainly imaginary accounts of people
snatched from the grave's threshold and restored to life and vigour by
a few spoonsful of liquor and a warm bath. Yes, he had a long,
fcfffd death of it—three hours and six minutes, from the time he rang
Ms bell.
It is believed that in all these eighteen years that have elapsed
einoe the institution of the corpse-watch, no shrouded occupant of the