THE YUKI DEVIL. 135 
swallowed a crumb of nutriment, tasted no water, breathed no breath that 
could be discovered, and lay with every muscle relaxed like a corpse. To 
all human perception he was dead, except that his body did not become 
rigid or cold. At last a vessel of water was placed on a table hard by, 
information of that fact was casually imparted to him in his native tongue, 
all the attendants withdrew, the dungeon relapsed into silence, and he was 
secretly watched. After a long time, when profound stillness prevailed, 
and when the watchers had begun to believe he was in a trance at least, he 
cautiously lifted up his head, gazed stealthily all around him, scrutinized 
every cranny and crevice of light, then softly crawled on all-fours to the 
table, taking care not to clank his chains the while, took down the pitcher 
and drank deep and long. They rushed in upon him, but upon the instant— 
so fatuous was the obstinacy of the savage—he dropped as if he had been 
shot, and again simulated death. But he was now informed that this sub- 
terfuge was quite too thin for any further purposes, and as soon as the gal- 
lows could be put in order the executioners entered and told him plainly 
that the preparations were fully completed for his taking-off. He made no 
sien. Then, half dragging, half carrying the miserable wretch, they con- 
duct him forth to the scaffold. All limp and flaccid and nerveless as he is, 
they lift him upon the platform; but still he makes not the least motion, 
and exhibits no consciousness of all these stern and grim preparations. He 
is supported in an upright position between two soldiers, hanging a lifeless 
burden on their shoulders; his head is lifted up from his breast where it 
droops in heavy helplessness; the new-bought rope, cold and hard and 
prickly is coiled about his neck, and the huge knot properly adjusted at 
the side; the merciful cap which shuts off these heart-sickening preparations 
from the eyes of the faint and shuddering criminal is dispensed with, and 
everything is in perfect readiness. The solemn stillness befitting the awful 
spectacle about to be enacted falls upon the few spectators; the fatal signal 
is given; the drop swiftly descends; the supporting soldiers sink with it, as 
if about to vanish into the earth and hide their eyes from the tragedy; with 
a dead, dull thud the tightened rope wrenches the savage from their upbear- 
ing shoulders into pitiless mid-air, and the Yuki Devil, hanging there with- 
out a twitch or a shiver quickly passes from simulated to unequivocal and 
unmistakable death. 
