SHAVING THE SHERIFF. 107 



until his beard should grow, for the schoolma'ams were 

 In- rd And then came the temptation to make a slash or 

 two at the Adam's apple and end the whole business. I 

 was becoming nervous, and my whole body was quivering 

 with suppressed nervous laughter. I wanted to scream and 

 throw Ihe ra/.or out of the window, and jump out after it. 



" For Heaven's sake, go on, get through! " groaned the 

 Sheriff. 



That broke the spell, and I fell to work again with more 

 coolness. I reached the, hollow cheeks; I had carefully 

 gone over the sharp chin, the long jaw bones, and high 

 cheek-bones, leaving my "mark," it is true, here and 

 there well cut in, with tolerable suecess, from my point of 

 view, and considering my education and opportunities in 

 tin- bu>in< -ss. Uut now I had come to the most critical 

 piece of work before me. How to go down into the hol- 

 lows with a straight bladed instrument with .in awkward 

 handle like a ra/.or's, nearly posed me. I meditated thrust- 

 ing my fingers into the ShcrilV's cheeks to plump them out, 

 but was afraid he wa-> by this time mad enough to bite me, 

 or that I might cut through and slash my own lingers. I 

 can't, to this day quite imagine, how I accomplished it, but 

 I did somehow, shave out the hollows, wilhonly a few 

 small slices being taken off on the surrounding ridges. 1 

 suppose in times of great excitement or danger we areinspir 

 ed to our best, and no subsequent ell'orl of memory can 

 recall precisely the mental processes of those moments of 

 inspired activity. That is my case exactly in regard to that 

 last and supreme effort in shaving the Sheriff. 



