t," replied the dying man; "but my sight fails me; be
quick, absolve me." And the paper was signed, with difficulty, as the
priests supported the dying man. "And now--absolve me."

"I do absolve thee," replied the priest, who then went through the
ceremony.

"Now this is a confounded rascally business," said Jack to himself; who
then dropped his cloak, jumped upon the window-sill, opened wide the
window-curtains with both hands, and uttered a yelling kind of "ha! ha!
ha! ha!"

The priests turned round, saw the demon, as they imagined--dropped the
paper on the table, and threw themselves with their faces on the floor.

"_Exorciso te_," stammered one.

"Ha! ha! ha! ha!" repeated Jack, entering the room, and taking up the
paper, which he burned by the flame of the candle. Our hero looked at
the old man on the bed; his jaw had fallen, his eyes were turned. He
was dead. Jack then gave one more "ha! ha! ha! ha!" to keep the priests
in their places, blew out the candles, made a spring out of the window,
caught up his cloak, and disappeared as fast as his legs could carry
him.

Jack ran until he was out of breath, and then he stopped, and sat down
by the side of the road. It was broad moonlight, and Jack knew not
where he was; "but Minorca has not many high-roads," thought Jack, "and
I shall find my way home. Now let me see--I have done some good this
evening. I have prevented those rogues from disinheriting a family. I
wonder who they are; they ought to be infinitely obliged to me. But if
the priests find me out, what shall I do? I never dare come on shore
again--they'd have me in the inquisition. I wonder where I am," said
Jack; "I will get on that hill, and see if I can take a departure."

The hill was formed by the road being cut perpendicularly almost through
it, and was perhaps some twelve or fourteen feet high. Jack ascended
it, and looked about him. "There is the sea, at all events, with the
full moon silvering the waves," said Jack, turning from the road, "and
here is the road; then that must be the way to Port Mahon. But what
comes here?--it's a carriage. Why, it's the yellow carriage of that old
lady with her diamonds, and her two splashy footmen!" Jack was watching
it as it passed the road under him, when, of a sudden, he perceived
about a dozen men rush out, and seize the horses' heads--a discharge of
fire-arms, the coachman dropped off the box, and the two footmen dropped
from behind. The