"We have entombed four of them to-day," he said; "see how nicely we
shall lift the fifth one."
There was, indeed, a certain sleight whereby he slung it across his
shoulder, but no reason in the world for tossing it upon the hearse with
a slam. They covered its nakedness with velvet, and the _cocher_, having
taken a cigar from his pocket, and looking much as if he would like to
smoke, put it back again sadly, cracked his whip, and the cortege went
on. The _croquemorts_ kept a little way ahead, sauntering upon the
sidewalk, and their cloaks and oil-cloth hats protected them from a
drizzling rain, which now came down, to the grief of the mourners,
walking in the middle of the street behind the body. They were seven in
number, Messrs. Plade, Pisgah and Simp, going together, and apparently a
trifle the worse for the lunch; Freckle followed singly, having been
told to keep at a distance to render the display more imposing; the
landlady and her niece went arm in arm after, and behind them trode a
little old hunchback gentleman, neatly clothed, and bearing in his hand
a black, wooden cross, considerably higher than himself, on which was
painted, in white letters, this inscription:
CHRISTOPHER LEES,
CAROLINA DU NORD,
ETATS CONFEDERE
AMERIQUE.
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