es. Murdher!" he exclaimed, in words that
were thick, vehement, and almost unintelligible with rage. "Ay, murdher
is it? It was a just God that put the words into your guilty heart--and
wicked lips--prepare, your last moment's come--your doom is sealed--are
you ready to die, villain?"

The whole black and fearful tenor of the baronet's life came like a
vision of hell itself over his conscience, now fearfully awakened to the
terrible position in which he felt himself placed.

"Oh, no!" he replied, in a voice whose tremulous tones betrayed the
full extent of his agony and terrors. "Oh, no!" he exclaimed. "Spare me,
whoever you are--spare my life, and if you will come to mo to-morrow, I
promise, in the presence of God, to make you independent as long as you
live. Oh, spare me, for the sake of the living God--for I am not fit
to die. If you kill me now, you will have the perdition of my soul to
answer for at the bar of judgment. If you spare me, I will reform my
life--I will become a virtuous man."

"Well," replied the other, relaxing--"for the sake of the name you have
used, and in the hope that this may be a warnin' to you for your good, I
will leave your wicked and worthless life with you. No, I'll not be the
man that will hurl you into perdition--but it is on one condition--you
must hand me out your money before I have time to count ten. Listen
now--if I haven't every farthing that's about you before that reckonin's
made, the bullet that's in this pistol will be through your brain."

The expedition of the baronet was amazing, for as Jemmy went on with
this disastrous enumeration, steadily and distinctly, but not quickly,
he had only time to get as far as eight when he found himself in
possession of the baronet's purse.

"Is it all here?" he asked. "No tricks--no lyin'--the truth? for I'll
search you."

"You may," replied the other, with confidence; "and you may shoot me,
too, if you find another farthing in my possession."

"Now, then," said Trailcudgel, "get home as well as you can, and reform
your life as you promised--as for me, I'll keep the pistols; indeed,
for my own sake, for I have no notion of putting them into your hands at
present."

He then disappeared, and the baronet, having with considerable
difficulty gained the box-seat, reached home somewhat lighter in pocket
than he had left it, convinced besides that an unexpected visit from a
natural apparition is frequently much more to be dreaded than one