how tell a story and others-第5节

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It　was　carbolic　acid。　　He　had　a　carboy　of　it。　　He　sprinkled　it　all　around
everywhere；　in　fact　he　drenched　everything　with　it；　rifle…box；　cheese　and
all。　　Then　we　sat　down；　feeling　pretty　hopeful。　　But　it　wasn't　for　long。
You　see　the　two　perfumes　began　to　mix；　and　thenwell；　pretty　soon　we
made　a　break　for　the　door；　and　out　there　Thompson　swabbed　his　face　with
his　bandanna　and　said　in　a　kind　of　disheartened　way；

〃It　ain't　no　use。　　We　can't　buck　agin　him。　　He　just　utilizes　everything
we　put　up　to　modify　him　with；　and　gives　it　his　own　flavor　and　plays　it
back　on　us。　　Why；　Cap。；　don't　you　know；　it's　as　much　as　a　hundred　times
worse　in　there　now　than　it　was　when　he　first　got　a…going。　　I　never　did
see　one　of　'em　warm　up　to　his　work　so；　and　take　such　a　dumnation　interest
in　it。　　No；　Sir；　I　never　did；　as　long　as　I've　ben　on　the　road；　and　I've
carried　a　many　a　one　of　'em；　as　I　was　telling　you。〃

We　went　in　again　after　we　were　frozen　pretty　stiff；　but　my；　we　couldn't
stay　in；　now。　　So　we　just　waltzed　back　and　forth；　freezing；　and　thawing；
and　stifling；　by　turns。　　In　about　an　hour　we　stopped　at　another　station；
and　as　we　left　it　Thompson　came　in　with　a　bag；　and　said；

〃Cap。；　I'm　a…going　；to　chance　him　once　more；just　this　once；　and　if　we
don't　fetch　him　this　time；　the　thing　for　us　to　do；　is　to　just　throw　up
the　sponge　and　withdraw　from　the　canvass。　　That's　the　way　I　put　it　up。〃
He　had　brought　a　lot　of　chicken　feathers；　and　dried　apples；　and　leaf
tobacco；　and　rags；　and　old　shoes；　and　sulphur；　and　asafoetida；　and　one
thing　or　another；　and　he；　piled　them　on　a　breadth　of　sheet　iron　in　the
middle　of　the　floor；　and　set　fire　to　them。

When　they　got　well　started；　I　couldn't　see；　myself；　how　even　the　corpse
could　stand　it。　　All　that　went　before　was　just　simply　poetry　to　that
smell；but　mind　you；　the　original　smell　stood　up　out　of　it　just　as
sublime　as　ever；fact　is；　these　other　smells　just　seemed　to　give　it　a
better　hold；　and　my；　how　rich　it　was！　　I　didn't　make　these　reflections
therethere　wasn't　timemade　them　on　the　platform。　　And　breaking　for
the　platform；　Thompson　got　suffocated　and　fell；　and　before　I　got　him
dragged　out；　which　I　did　by　the　collar；　I　was　mighty　near　gone　myself。
When　we　revived；　Thompson　said　dejectedly；

〃We　got　to　stay　out　here；　Cap。　　We　got　to　do　it。　　They　ain't　no　other
way。　　The　Governor　wants　to　travel　alone；　and　he's　fixed　so　he　can
outvote　us。〃

And　presently　he　added；

〃And　don't　you　know；　we're　pisoned。　　It's　our　last　trip；　you　can　make　up
your　mind　to　it。　　Typhoid　fever　is　what's　going　to　come　of　this。　　I　feel
it　acoming　right　now。　　Yes；　sir；　we're　elected；　just　as　sure　as　you're
born。〃

We　were　taken　from　the　platform　an　hour　later；　frozen　and　insensible；　at
the　next　station；　and　I　went　straight　off　into　a　virulent　fever；　and
never　knew　anything　again　for　three　weeks。　　I　found　out；　then；　that　I　had
spent　that　awful　night　with　a　harmless　box　of　rifles　and　a　lot　of
innocent　cheese；　but　the　news　was　too　late　to　save　me；　imagination　had
done　its　work；　and　my　health　was　permanently　shattered；　neither　Bermuda
nor　any　other　land　can　ever　bring　it　back　tome。　　This　is　my　last　trip；　I
am　on　my　way　home　to　die。






End