Is it not so?"
The man signified assent.
"I promise you I will do so. I will take him into my own family, and
he shall share with us."
The man raised his hand again, and a gleam of joy passed over his
features, as he took the hand of the lad and put it into that of
Edward. His eyes were then fixed upon Edward as if to scrutinize into
his character by his features, while the former bathed his temples and
washed the blood from his mouth with the water brought by the boy, who
appeared in a state of grief so violent as to paralyze his senses.
After a minute or two, another effusion of blood choked the wounded
man, who, after a short struggle, fell back dead.
"He is gone!" thought Edward, "and now what is to be done? I must
first ascertain whether the two villains are dead or not. Edward took
a light and examined the body of Ben, lying over the threshold of the
door; the man was quite dead, the ball having entered his brain. He
was proceeding round the outside of the cottage to examine the state
of the other man, whom he had shot himself; but the wind nearly blew
out the light, and he therefore returned to the chamber and placed it
on the floor, near to where the boy lay insensible over the corpse of
the man who had died in the arms of Edward; and then went out without
a light, and with his gun, to the other side of the cottage, where the
other robber had fallen.
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