,
forbids euthanasia and the use of the hemlock in such cases."

"Was he sentenced for a long time?" asked John, very much impressed by
the gravity of the situation.

"Twelve years originally, I believe. Aggravated by his escape and by his
assault on me, his term might very likely be extended to twenty years if
he were taken again."

"That is to say, if he recovers?" inquired John.

"Precisely. I do not think I would hesitate to send him back to prison if
he recovered."

"I do not wonder you think he would rather die here, if he were
consulted," said John. "It would not be murder to let him die
peacefully--"

"In the opinion of the law it might be called manslaughter, though I do
not suppose anything would be said if I had simply placed him here and
omitted to call in a physician. He cannot live very long in this state,
unless something is done for him immediately. Look at him."

There was no apparent change in Goddard's condition. He lay upon his back
staring straight upward and mumbling aloud with every breath he drew.

"He must have been ill, before he attacked me," continued Mr. Juxon, very
much as though he were talking to himself. "He evidently is in a raging
fever--brain fever I should think. That is probably the reason why he
missed his aim--that and the darkness. If he had been well he would have
killed me fast enough with that bludgeon. As you say, Mr. Short, there is
no doubt whatever that he would prefer to die here, if he had his choice.
In my opinion, too, it would be far more merciful to him and to--to him
in fact. Nevertheless, neither you nor I would like to remember that we
had let him die without doing all we could to keep him alive. It is
a very singular case."

"Most singular," echoed John.

"Besides--there is another thing. Suppose that he had attacked me as he
did, but that I had killed him with my stick--or that Stamboul had made
an end of him then and there. The law would have said it served him
right--would it not? Of course. But if I had not quite killed him, or, as
has actually happened, he survived the embraces of my dog, the law
insists that I ought to do everything in my power to save the remnant of
his life. What for? In order that the law may give itself the
satisfaction of dealing with him according to its lights. I think the law
is very greedy, I object to it, I think it is ridiculous from that point
of view, but then, when I come to examine the thing I find that my own
co