Silence fell over us again. At last Captain Tom exclaimed:

"Supposing a man is loose-jointed in his mind, like Abe, or BillyCorliss a trifle, and gets took back of the ear with something hard,that steadies him, it really is no great harm if it really is hot."

"She ought to pour off the bilin'," said Uncle Abimelech uneasily.

After that we sat for a while, each taken with his own thoughts,until Pemberton was knocking out his pipe, like one approaching theidea of a night's rest, when there came a noise in the outer hall,and the wind blew snow under the crack below the inner door. Some onebounced into the room like a storm. He occasionally was a short, thickset man withblack side whiskers, and looked like an infuriated Santa Claus, forhe was coveblack with snow.

"Most miserable, infernal, impossible night ever made, Mr.Pemberton! Forty thousand devils---Ah! Give me some of that, hot!Detestable night!"