58 TM.L JOE. 



liad fallen on his face; but the shrunken figure and misshapen 

 shoulders confirming the testimony of the crutch itself all 

 told at once that it was " Tombstone Tim." 



Had it been a stranger in any such predicament of peril- 

 any one, in short, but the person in question, Joe would have 

 been at his side in half a second; but when lie saw who it 

 was, a sickly qualm came over the heart of the stout count r\ - 

 man. In what churchyard company had he seen Tim tin- 

 night before? What had brought him to where he was thai 

 morning? Joe put the two questions together, and ga\e 

 himself an indubitable answer, to the rU'ret that the ghosts 

 and evil spirits with which "Tombstone Tim' had been so 

 long in fellowship had at last led him to destruction., perhaps 

 entered into him bodily,, and driven him down that steep place 

 to perish in the waters. 



In such persuasion, no wonder that tall Joe hesitated ere he 

 brought himself into closer contact with one who, if not then, 

 must have been so recently " possessed;" but Joe was a kind, 

 good-hearted fellow ; he remembered not alone the parable of 

 the Legion, but that also of the Good Samaritan, and feelings 

 stirring within him stronger even than his superstitious fears, 

 brought him presently down the bank. He called Tim by 

 name, no answer was returned ; shook him by the arm, no 

 movement followed ; turned him gently over, and saw a white 

 motionless face, with a dark red and blue cut over the cheek- 

 bone, received, Joe doubtless suspected, from the hand of 



