FOUR-HANDED FOLKS. 393 



pearing above the water. This was very comfortable for 

 some time, but the water, heated by the flames beneath, 

 began to get hot ; Jacko raised his body a little, but, find- 

 ing the air very cold by contrast, immediately sat down 

 again. This he continued to do for some time, never being 

 able to sum up the courage to face the cold air. The con- 

 sequence was that the poor little wretch was nearly scalded, 

 and if it had not been for the timely interference of one of 

 the servants, who took his parboiled carcass out by main 

 force, he would have become a martyr to his own want of 

 pluck and firmness in action. 



18. Jacko's organ of imitation appears to have been 

 very great. On one occasion he tried his hand at knife- 

 cleaning ; but it was the handles which he attempted to pol- 

 ish, while he held the blade in his hand, as a cut attested 

 the next day. He next set to work to polish shoes as he 

 had seen William do, but he covered the soles all over 

 with the blacking, and emptied what was left of a bottle of 

 Day & Martin into the shoe, nearly filling it. "When the 

 servants entered he retreated to his basket in the corner, 

 and tried to look as though nothing had happened. After 

 several years of mischief and torment, Jacko got an at- 

 tack of bronchitis. He was wrapped in flannel and placed 

 before the fire, and great care was taken of him, but all in 

 vain ; he died. Not wishing to lose sight of him altogether, 

 I had his bones made into a skeleton, and now, 

 In a cabinet high on a shelf, 

 He lies as a monument raised to himself. 



Frank BucMand 



