'Wife!' shouted the other, glaring on Hiram--'wife! who talks to me
about wife? Do you? Say quick!--do you?'--and he raised the cleaver in a
menacing manner.
'It was not I,' said Hiram, with as much calmness as he could command,
while he looked at the other fixedly--'it was not I.'
'Glad to hear you say so. If it had been, I would have made kindling
wood of you--yes, kindling wood of you!--That's all got along with,' he
added, lowering the cleaver. 'Now take a seat.'
The madman sat down on one side of a small table, and motioned Hiram to
occupy the chair opposite.
He did so.
'Now we are comfortable. Don't you think so? Shan't have to move, shall
we? Old Meeker, d----n his soul!--don't own this house. Come, let's have
a gay old time!'--and he commenced, half shouting, half singing:
'Ain't I glad to get out of the wilderness--
To get out of the wilderness,
To get out of the wilderness?--
Ain't I glad to get out of the wilderness?
Hip, hip, hurrah!'
Hiram sat pale, but not trembling. He knew his very life depended on his
composure, and he believed that the noise which the madman was making
would soon bring persons to the spot.
'You don't seem to like my little song,' he exclaimed, 'I will give you
another.' And he shouted on:
'I wish I was a horse, as big as any elephant--
As big as any elephant,
As big as any elephant--
I wish I was a horse, as big as any elephant--
Hip, hip, hurrah!'
'That's better, ain't it?' Suddenly he turned and looked at the corpse.
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