heavier and his heart-beats growing
weaker, but these conditions gave him comfort by reducing his anxiety
and softening the pangs of hunger. He was growing more and more
comfortable and yawned. If he had dared he might have gone to sleep.

Suddenly a fierce light flooded his vision and sent him with a bound to
his feet. Had he been struck upon the head or stabbed to the heart? No;
he was sound and alive. The pale stranger still sat there staring at
nothing and immovable; but Kimberlin was no longer afraid of him. On
the contrary, an extraordinary buoyancy of spirit and elasticity of
body made him feel reckless and daring. His former timidity and
scruples vanished, and he felt equal to any adventure. Without
hesitation he gathered up the money and bestowed it in his several
pockets.

"I am a fool to starve," he said to himself, "with all this money ready
to my hand."

As cautiously as a thief he unlocked the door, stepped out, reclosed
it, and boldly and with head erect stalked out upon the street. Much to
his astonishment, he found the city in the bustle of the early evening,
yet the sky was clear. It was evident to him that he had not been in
the saloon as long as he had supposed. He walked along the street with
the utmost unconcern of the dangers that beset him, and laughed softly
but gleefully. Would he not eat now--ah, would he not? Why, he could
buy a dozen restaurants! Not only that, but he would hunt the city up
and down for hungry men and feed them with the fattest steaks, the
juiciest roasts, and the biggest oysters that the town could supply. As
for himself, he must eat first; after that he would set up a great
establishment for feeding other hungry mortals without charge. Yes, he
would eat first; if he pleased, he would eat till he should burst. In
what single place could he find sufficient to satisfy his hunger? Could
he live sufficiently long to have an ox killed and roasted whole for
his supper? Besides an ox he would order two dozen broiled chickens,
fifty dozen oysters, a dozen crabs, ten dozen eggs, ten hams, eight
young pigs, twenty wild ducks, fifteen fish of four different kinds,
eight salads, four dozen bottles each of claret, burgundy, and
champagne; for pastry, eight plum-puddings, and for dessert, bushels of
nuts, ices, and confections. It would require time to prepare such a
meal, and if he could only live until it could be made ready it would
be infinitely better than to spoil his appetite w