And you've beat us on hanging, for you seem to
thrive on it. But it's my turn to beat you now, for my duty has to be
done."

He pulled a six-shooter from his coat as he spoke, and fired all the
shots through the body of the prisoner. The room was so filled with
smoke that we could see nothing, but when it cleared the prisoner was
still standing there, looking down in disgust at the front of his coat.

"Coats must be cheap where you come from," said he. "Thirty dollars it
cost me, and look at it now. The six holes in front are bad enough, but
four of the balls have passed out, and a pretty fine state the back must
be in."

The Marshal's revolver fell from his hand, and he dropped his arms to
his sides, a beaten man.

"Maybe some of you gentlemen can tell me what this means," said he,
looking helplessly at the committee.

Peter Stulpnagel took a step forward.

"I'll tell you all about it," said he.

"You seem to be the only person who knows anything."

"I _am_ the only person who knows anything. I should have warned these
gentlemen; but, as they would not listen to me, I have allowed them to
learn by experience. What you have done with your electricity is that
you have increased the man's vitality until he can deny death for
centuries."

"Centuries!"

"Yes, it will take the wear of hundreds of years to exhaust the enormous
nervous energy with which you have drenched him. Electricity is life,
and you have charged him with it to the utmost. Perhaps in fifty years
you might execute him, but I am not sanguine about it."

"Great Scott! What shall I do with him?" cried the unhappy Marshal.

Peter Stulpnagel shrugged his shoulders.

"It seems to me that it does not much matter what you do with him now,"
said he.

"Maybe we could drain the electricity out of him again. Suppose we hang
him up by the heels?"

"No, no, it's out of the question."

"Well, well, he shall do no more mischief in Los Amigos, anyhow," said
the Marshal, with decision. "He shall go into the new gaol. The prison
will wear him out."

"On the contrary," said Peter Stulpnagel, "I think that it is much more
probable that he will wear out the prison."

It was rather a fiasco, and for years we didn't talk more about it than
we could help, but it's no secret now, and I thought you might like to
jot down the facts in your case-book.

IX

HOW IT HAPPENED

She was a writing medium. This is what she wrote:--

I can remember some th