malicious, satisfied, cruel laugh, or the leering grin, and the horrible
square opening of the mouth like a tragic mask, and the yellow gleam of
the few discoloured teeth in the shapeless gums. In that laugh and with
that grin and the chuckling satisfaction I knew as well as if it had
been spoken to me in words of thunder that my murder was settled, and
the murderers only bided the proper time for its accomplishment. I could
read between the lines of her gruesome story the commands to her
accomplices. 'Wait,' she seemed to say, 'bide your time. I shall strike
the first blow. Find the weapon for me, and I shall make the
opportunity! He shall not escape! Keep him quiet, and then no one will
be wiser. There will be no outcry, and the rats will do their work!'

It was growing darker and darker; the night was coming. I stole a glance
round the shanty, still all the same! The bloody axe in the corner, the
heaps of filth, and the eyes on the bone heaps and in the crannies of
the floor.

Pierre had been still ostensibly filling his pipe; he now struck a light
and began to puff away at it. The old woman said:

'Dear heart, how dark it is! Pierre, like a good lad, light the lamp!'

Pierre got up and with the lighted match in his hand touched the wick of
a lamp which hung at one side of the entrance to the shanty, and which
had a reflector that threw the light all over the place. It was
evidently that which was used for their sorting at night.

'Not that, stupid! Not that! the lantern!' she called out to him.

He immediately blew it out, saying: 'All right, mother I'll find it,'