Page:Lynch Williams--The girl and the game.djvu/124

 mice, perhaps, thinking their hour had come for being sacrificed to science. The second match took fire properly and burned up brightly.

There on a long table in the middle of the room lay something covered with a long white sheet. "There it is," said Reddy in an awed tone.

Jeremiah stepped boldly forward and pulled down the covering, disclosing the motionless and discolored features of a man's face and chest. The body was much emaciated, so that the ribs showed through.

"Great Heavens!" gasped Reddy.

"The little rascals," muttered Jeremiah.

"Let's go," whispered Reddy tremulously; "we've seen it."

"Light another match," commanded Jeremiah aloud.

"Sh," whispered Reddy, but he struck a light, then reached forward and pulled the cover up over the face again.

"I can't stand it," he explained. But he had pulled up the sheet too far, exposing the feet. Jeremiah looked at the feet; he