would be hardly possible for me to
carry him over the broken rocks which I had climbed to arrive at where
he lay; and there was no other way but what was longer, and just as
difficult. By degrees he appeared to recover; I gave him more of the
contents of the pannikin, and at last he could speak, although with
great pain and difficulty. As he did so he put his hand to his side.
He was indeed a ghastly object, with his sightless eyeballs, his livid
lips, and his face and beard matted with blood.

"Do you think you could get to the cabin, if I helped you?" said I.

"I shall never get there--let me die where I am," said he.

"But the cut on your head is not very deep," replied I.

"No, I don't feel it;--but--my side--I bleed inwardly--I am--broken to
pieces," said he, pausing and gasping between each word.

I looked at his side, and perceived that it was already black and much
swollen. I offered him more drink, which he took eagerly, and I then
returned for a further supply. I filled two of the wine-bottles with
water and a small drop of spirits as before, and went back to where he
lay. I found him more recovered, and I had hopes that he might still do
well, and I told him so.

"No, no," replied he; "I have but a few hours to live--I feel that. Let
me die here, and die in peace."

He then sank into a sort of stupor, occasioned, I presume, by what I had
given him to drink, and remained quite quiet, and breathing heavily. I
sat by him waiting till he should rouse up again; for more than an hour
I was in a very confused state of mind, as may well be imagined, after
what had passed in the night.

CHAPTER TWELVE.

What I most thought of was obtaining from him, now that he was dying,
the full truth as to the deaths of my father and mother.

Jackson remained so long in this state of stupor, I feared that he would
die before I could interrogate him; but this, as it proved, was not to
be the case. I waited another hour, very impatiently I must
acknowledge, and then I went to him and asked him how he felt. He
replied immediately, and without that difficulty which he appeared
before to have experienced.

"I am better now--the inward bleeding has stopped; but still I cannot
live--my side is broken in, I do not think there is a rib that is not
fractured into pieces, and my spine is injured, for I cannot move or
feel my legs; but I may live many hours yet, and I thank God for his
mercy in allowing me so much tim