up but a chap that I knew, a relation, or rather, a
connection of mine--one of those Hearnes. 'Ar'n't you going to the
funeral?' said he; and then, brother, there passed between him and me, in
the way of questioning and answering, much the same as has just now
passed between I and you; but when he mentioned hanging, I thought I
could do no less than ask who hanged her, which you forgot to do. 'Who
hanged her?' said I; and then the man told me that she had done it
herself--been her own hinjiri; and then I thought to myself what a sin
and shame it would be if I did not go to the funeral, seeing that she was
my own mother-in-law. I would have brought my wife, and, indeed, the
whole of our party, but there was no time for that; they were too far
off, and the dead was to be buried early the next morning, so I went with
the man, and he led me into Wales, where his party had lately retired,
and when there, through many wild and desolate places to their
encampment, and there I found the Hearnes, and the dead body--the last
laid out on a mattress, in a tent, dressed Romaneskoenaes, in a red cloak
and big bonnet of black beaver. I must say for the Hearnes that they
took the matter very coolly: some were eating, others drinking, and some
were talking about their small affairs; there was one, however, who did
not take the matter so coolly, but took on enough for the whole family,
sitting beside the dead woman, tearing her hair, and refusing to take
either meat or drink; it was the child Leonora. I arrived at nightfall,
and the burying was not to take place till the morning, which I was
rather sorry for, as I am not very fond of them Hearnes, who are not very
fond of anybody. They never asked me to eat or drink, notwithstanding I
had married into the family; one of them, however, came up and offered to
fight me for five shillings; had it not been for them, I should have come
back as empty as I went--he didn't stand up five minutes. Brother, I
passed the night as well as I could, beneath a tree, for the tents were
full, and not over clean; I slept little, and had my eyes about me, for I
knew the kind of people I was among.

"Early in the morning the funeral took place. The body was placed not in
a coffin but on a bier, and carried not to a churchyard but to a deep
dell close by; and there it was buried beneath a rock, dressed just as I
have told you; and this was done by the bidding of Leonora, who had heard
her bebee say tha