Yes，wewereaRepublicindeed！ARepublicofwildbeastspennedatthebottomofapit，toeatandfightandsleeptillwediedIattemptednoprotestofanykind，butsatdownandstaredatthehideoussightinfrontofmeInlesstimealmostthanittakesmetowritethis，Pornic’sbodywasdivided，insomeunclearwayorother；themenandwomenhaddraggedthefragmentsontotheplatformandwerepreparingtheirnormalmealGungaDasscookedmineThealmostirresistibleimpulsetoflyatthesandwallsuntilIwasweariedlaidholdofmeafresh，andIhadtostruggleagainstitwithallmymightGungaDasswasoffensivelyjoculartillItoldhimthatifheaddressedanotherremarkofanykindwhatevertomeIshouldstranglehimwherehesatThissilencedhimtillsilencebecameinsupportable，andIbadehimsaysomething。
“YouwillliveheretillyoudieliketheotherFeringhi。”hesaid，coolly，watchingmeoverthefragmentofgristlethathewasgnawing。
“WhatotherSahib，youswine？Speakatonce，anddon’tstoptotellmealie。”
“Heisoverthere。”answeredGungaDass，pointingtoaburrow-mouthaboutfourdoorstatheleftofmyown“YoucanseeforyourselfHediedintheburrowasyouwilldie，andIwilldie，andasallthesemenandwomenandtheonechildwillalsodie。”
“Forpity’ssaketellmeallyouknowabouthimWhowashe？
Whendidhecome，andwhendidhedie？”
ThisappealwasaweaksteponmypartGungaDassonlyleeredandreplied：-“Iwillnot-unlessyougivemesomethingfirst。”
ThenIrecollectedwhereIwas，andstruckthemanbetweentheeyes，partiallystunninghimHesteppeddownfromtheplatformatonce，and，cringingandfawningandweepingandattemptingtoembracemyfeet，ledmeroundtotheburrowwhichhehadindicated。
“IknownothingwhateveraboutthegentlemanYourGodbemywitnessthatIdonotHewasasanxioustoescapeasyouwere，andhewasshotfromtheboat，thoughwealldidallthingstepreventhimfromattemptingHewasshothere。”GungaDasslaidhishandonhisleanstomachandbowedtotheearth。
“Well，andwhatthen？Goon！”
“Andthen-andthen，YourHonor，wecarriedhimintohishouseandgavehimwater，andputwetclothsonthewound，andhelaiddowninhishouseandgaveuptheghost。”
“Inhowlong？Inhowlong？”
“Abouthalfanhour，afterhereceivedhiswoundIcallVishnutowitness。”yelledthewretchedman，“thatIdideverythingforhim。
Everythingwhichwaspossible，thatIdid！”
HethrewhimselfdownonthegroundandclaspedmyanklesButIhadmydoubtsaboutGungaDass’sbenevolence，andkickedhimoffashelayprotesting。
“IbelieveyourobbedhimofeverythinghehadButIcanfindoutinaminuteortwoHowlongwastheSahibhe’~？”
“NearlyayearandahalfIthinkhemusthavegonemadButhearmeswearProtectorofthePoor！Won’tYourHonorhearmeswearthatInevertouchedanarticlethatbelongedtohim？WhatisYourWorshipgoingtodo？”
IhadtakenGungaDassbythewaistandhadhauledhimontotheplatformoppositethedesertedburrowAsIdidsoIthoughtofmywretchedfellow-prisoner’sunspeakablemiseryamongallthesehorrorsforeighteenmonths，andthefinalagonyofdyinglikearatinahole，withabullet-woundinthestomachGungaDassfanciedIwasgoingtokillhimandhowledpitifullyTherestofthepopulation，intheplethorathatfollowsafullfleshmeal，watcheduswithoutstirring。
“Goinside，GungaDass。”saidI，“andfetchitout。”
IwasfeelingsickandfaintwithhorrornowGungaDassnearlyrolledofftheplatformandhowledaloud。
“ButIamBrahmin，Sahib-ahigh-casteBrahminByyoursoul，byyourfather’ssoul，donotmakemedothisthing！”
“BrahminornoBrahmin，bymysoulandmyfather’ssoul，inyougo！”Isaid，and，seizinghimbytheshoulders，Icrammedhisheadintothemouthoftheburrow，kickedtherestofhimin，and，sittingdown，coveredmyfacewithmyhands。
AttheendofafewminutesIheardarustleandacreak；thenGungaDassinasobbing，chokingwhisperspeakingtohimself；
thenasoftthud-andIuncoveredmyeyes。
Thedrysandhadturnedthecorpseentrustedtoitskeepingintoayellow-brownmummyItoldGungaDasstostandoffwhileI
examinedit。
Thebody-cladinanolive-greenhunting-suitmuchstainedandworn，withleatherpadsontheshoulders-wasthatofamanbetweenthirtyandforty，abovemiddleheight，withlight，sandyhair，longmustache，andaroughunkemptbeardTheleftcanineoftheupperjawwasmissing，andaportionofthelobeoftherightearwasgoneOnthesecondfingerofthelefthandwasaring-ashield-shapedbloodstonesetingold，withamonogramthatmighthavebeeneither“B。K。”or“B。L。”Onthethirdfingeroftherighthandwasasilverringintheshapeofacoiledcobra，muchwornandtarnishedGungaDassdepositedahandfuloftrifleshehadpickedoutoftheburrowatmyfeet，and，coveringthefaceofthebodywithmyhandkerchief，IturnedtoexaminetheseIgivethefulllistinthehopethatitmayleadtotheidentificationoftheunfortunateman：
1Bowlofabriarwoodpipe，serratedattheedge；muchwornandblackened；boundwithstringatthecrew。
2Twopatent-leverkeys；wardsofbothbroken。
3Tortoise-shell-handledpenknife，silverornickelname-plate，markedwithmonogram“B。K。”
4Envelope，postmarkUndecipherable，bearingaVictorianstamp，addressedto“MissMon-“restillegible-“ham“-“nt。”
5Imitationcrocodile-skinnotebookwithpencilFirstforty-fivepagesblank；fourandahalfillegible；fifteenothersfilledwithprivatememorandarelatingchieflytothreepersons-aMrs。L。
Singleton，abbreviatedseveraltimesto“LotSingle。”“MrsS。
May。”and“Garmison。”referredtoinplacesas“Jerry“or“Jack。”
6。Handleofsmall-sizedhunting-knifeBladesnappedshort。
Buck’shorn，diamondcut，withswivelandringonthebutt；
fragmentofcottoncordattached。
ItmustnotbesupposedthatIinventoriedallthesethingsonthespotasfullyasIhaveherewrittenthemdownThenotebookfirstattractedmyattention，andIputitinmypocketwithaviewofstudyingitlateron。
TherestofthearticlesIconveyedtomyburrowforsafety’ssake，andtherebeingamethodicalman，IinventoriedthemIthenreturnedtothecorpseandorderedGungaDasstohelpmetocarryitouttotheriver-frontWhilewewereengagedinthis，theexplodedshellofanoldbrowncartridgedroppedoutofoneofthepocketsandrolledatmyfeetGungaDasshadnotseenit；andI
felltothinkingthatamandoesnotcarryexplodedcartridge-cases，especially“browns。”whichwillnotbearloadingtwice，aboutwithhimwhenshootingInotherwords，thatcartridge-casehadbeenfiredinsidethecraterConsequentlytheremustbeagunsomewhereIwasonthevergeofaskingGungaDass，butcheckedmyself，knowingthathewouldlieWelaidthebodydownontheedgeofthequicksandbythetussocksItwasmyintentiontopushitoutandletitbeswallowedup-theonlypossiblemodeofburialthatIcouldthinkofIorderedGungaDasstogoaway。
ThenIgingerlyputthecorpseoutonthequicksandIndoingso。
itwaslyingfacedownward，Itorethefrailandrottenkhakishooting-coatopen，disclosingahideouscavityinthebackIhavealreadytoldyouthatthedrysandhad，asitwere，mummifiedthebodyAmoment’sglanceshowedthatthegapingholehadbeencausedbyagun-shotwound；thegunmusthavebeenfiredwiththemuzzlealmosttouchingthebackTheshooting-coat，beingintact，hadbeendrawnoverthebodyafterdeath，whichmusthavebeeninstantaneousThesecretofthepoorwretch’sdeathwasplaintomeinaflashSomeoneofthecrater，presumablyGungaDass，musthaveshothimwithhisowngun——thegunthatfittedthebrowncartridgesHehadneverattemptedtoescapeinthefaceoftherifle-firefromtheboat。
Ipushedthecorpseouthastily，andsawitsinkfromsightliterallyinafewsecondsIshudderedasIwatchedInadazed，half-consciouswayIturnedtoperusethenotebookAstainedanddiscoloredslipofpaperbadbeeninsertedbetweenthebindingandtheback，anddroppedoutasIopenedthepagesThisiswhatitcontained：-“Fouroutfromcrow-clump：threeleft；nineout；tworight；threeback；twoleft；fourteenout；twoleft；sevenout；oneleft；nineback；tworight；sixback；fourright；sevenback。”ThepaperhadbeenburnedandcharredattheedgesWhatitmeantI
couldnotunderstandIsatdownonthedriedbentsturningitoverandoverbetweenmyfingers，untilIwasawareofGungaDassstandingimmediatelybehindmewithglowingeyesandoutstretchedhands。
“Haveyougotit？”hepanted“Willyounotletmelankatitalso？IswearthatIwillreturnit。”
“Gotwhat？Returnwhat？”asked。
“ThatwhichyouhaveinyourhandsItwillhelpusboth。”Hestretchedouthislong，bird-liketalons，tremblingwitheagerness。
“Icouldneverfindit。”hecontinued“HehadsecreteditabouthispersonThereforeIshothim，butneverthelessIwasunabletoobtainit。”
GungaDasshadquiteforgottenhislittlefictionabouttherifle-bulletIreceivedtheinformationperfectlycalmly。
MoralityisbluntedbyconsortingwiththeDeadwhoarealive。
“Whatonearthareyouravingabout？Whatisityouwantmetogiveyou？”
“ThepieceofpaperinthenotebookItwillhelpusbothOh，youfool！Youfool！Canyounotseewhatitwilldoforus？Weshallescape！”
Hisvoicerosealmosttoascream，andhedancedwithexcitementbeforemeIownIwasmovedatthechanceofmygettingaway。
“Don’tskip！ExplainyourselfDoyoumeantosaythatthisslipofpaperwillhelpus？Whatdoesitmean？”
“Readitaloud！Readitaloud！IbegandIprayyoutoreaditaloud。”
IdidsoGungaDasslisteneddelightedly，anddrewanirregularlineinthesandwithhisfingers。
“Seenow！Itwasthelengthofhisgun-barrelswithoutthestockI
havethosebarrelsFourgun-barrelsoutfromtheplacewhereI
caughtcrowsStraightout；doyoufollowme？Thenthreeleft-Ah！
howwellIrememberwhenthatmanworkeditoutnightafternightThennineout，andsoonOutisalwaysstraightbeforeyouacrossthequicksandHetoldmesobeforeIkilledhim。”
’~Butifyouknewallthiswhydidn’tyougetoutbefore？”
“IdidnotknowitHetoldmethathewasworkingitoutayearandahalfago，andhowhewasworkingitoutnightafternightwhentheboatbadgoneaway，andhecouldgetoutnear~bequicksandsafelyThenhesaidthatwewouldgetawaytogether。
ButIwasafraidthathewouldleavemebehindonenightwhenhehadworkeditallout，andsoIshothimBesides，itisnotadvisablethatthemenwhooncegetinhereshouldescapeOnlyI，andIamaBrahmin。”
TheprospectofescapehadbroughtGungaDass’scastebacktohimHestoodup，walkedaboutandgesticulatedviolently。
EventuallyImanagedtomakehimtalksoberly，andhetoldmehowthisEnglishmanhadspentsixmonthsnightafternightinexploring，inchbyinch，thepassageacrossthequicksand；howhehaddeclaredittobesimplicityitselfuptowithinabouttwentyyardsoftheriverbankafterturningtheflankofthelefthornofthehorseshoeThismuchhehadevidentlynotcompletedwhenGungaDassshothimwithhisowngun。
InmyfrenzyofdelightatthepossibilitiesofescapeIrecollectshakinghandseffusivelywithGungaDass，afterwehaddecidedthatweweretomakeanattempttogetawaythatverynightItwaswearyworkwaitingthroughouttheafternoon。
Aboutteno’clock，asfarasIcouldjudge，whentheMoonhadjustrisenabovethelipofthecrater，GungaDassmadeamoveforhisburrowtobringoutthegun-barrelswherebytomeasureourpath。
AlltheotherwretchedinhabitantshadretiredtotheirlairslongagoTheguardianboatdrifteddownstreamsomehoursbefore，andwewereutterlyalonebythecrow-clumpGungaDass，whilecarryingthegun-barrels，letslipthepieceofpaperwhichwastobeourguideIstoopeddownhastilytorecoverit，and，asIdidso，I