Page:Knaves of Diamonds.pdf/125

 half as a walking-stick and half as a crutch.

His eyes were three-parts closed, and his head hung down till his chin touched his breast, and rolled slowly from side to side with the motion of his body. His mouth was half open, and the tip of his tongue protruded a little between his dry, black, cracked lips. It was as dry and black as they were, and if you could have put your ear close to his face you would have heard his teeth grating upon it.

Every now and then one or two of the vultures would swoop down a little lower to investigate, as though wondering when it would be safe to begin the promised banquet. It would probably have begun before this but for one fact which the vultures didn't see, or, if they did, didn't understand. The mule's tongue was hanging out of one side of her mouth, dry and black like the man's, but her