Concluding that this was all the comfort that he could have, and that I might as well gratify him, I cut up some of the weed, filled his pipe and lighted it.
He smoked calmly and almost happily all the afternoon, hardly speaking a word to me.

As it grew dark he asked me to bring him a drink.

I did so, and as I raised him up he said: "Mc, this thing's ended.

Tell my father that I stood it as long as I could, and----" The death rattle sounded in his throat, and when I laid him back it was all over.

Straightening out his limbs, folding his hands across his breast, and composing his features as best I could, I lay, down beside the body and slept till morning, when I did what little else I could toward preparing for the grave all that was left of my long-suffering little friend..