"Would you not want your pay for it, providing you had to carry one every night," said Thick triumphantly, supposing that he had now cornered his fault-finding friend, as he considered him. But he was very much mistaken. There was no such thing as getting the advantage of him in point of argument.
"If I were as strong and able bodied as you, Thick, I should prefer carrying the bodies to doing any thing else," was the reply of the not at all disconcerted Gaunt.
"The devil you would, retorted his companion," chafed at his coolness, and the method by which he freed himself from what he had believed a dilemma.
Here they stepped into an alley to let a cab pass, sat down the sack, and a long silence ensued, which was broken at length by Thick.
"I think it will be taking much unnecessary trouble to re-bury this body, merely to humor the whim of this sickly looking student."
"I have thought so from the beginning, Thick."
"Besides," returned the other, "we might very well dispose of it to much better advantage."
"Easily—nothing simpler. We can tell him that all has been done as he wished."
"A very profitable subject this—sold it for a round sum once—paid for taking it again—and now we have the same chance of repeating the operation."
"Capital."
Having discussed this important point to their satisfaction, they again proceeded towards their residence.
How seldom do we do what we purpose to, and how often is the execution of that which we, in the first instance, consider as already done, thwarted, It was so in this case, for the "Body Snatchers" had proceeded but a short distance, when two men came suddenly and unceremoniously upon them. The stouter of the two seized Thick by the throat, while the other took possession of the sack containing the subject. The former then loosing his grasp, suffered him to escape and follow the flight of his companion, already considerably in advance.
If the tall "resurrectionist" was good for nothing else, he was certainly remarkable for speed, which he was not slow in proving.
Spiritual beings are said to have the speed of thought in their motions, and he was as near the condition of one as he well could be; therefore the swiftness of his flight may be in some degree accounted for.
Thus far we have written the transactions of a night. We will now pass over the period of a day to the succeeding night. The hour of nine found Dr. Prene in his office on street, with Eugene. The shutters were carefully closed and fastened, as was also the door, and the curtains closely drawn, A table was near the centre of the room, on which was something covered with a white cloth. The Dr. and the student divested themselves of the coats they usually wore, and donned frocks prepared for the purpose; then several cases of surgical and dissecting instruments were taken from their respective places, and laid upon the table. A small pot of red wax was boiling on the coals in the grate. Strong waxed threads were near the instruments to serve as ligatures.
"Shall you inject by the Aorta or the Femoral artery, Dr.," said Eugene, taking a scalpel.
"By the Femoral artery, I think the wax can be thrown with better effect, especially into the minute vessels."
"Hold your scalpel in this way, Eugene, and make a clear, bold stroke, and be careful not to make the incision too large."
