It winds through unfrequented streets to the bridge; crossing
the river it continues until checked by the closed gates of the
cemetery.
At the sight of so vast an assemblage and at such an unheard of hour,
the gate-keeper flees in terror. Two or three men enter the house to
emerge with the keys of the great gates and a lamp.
By the fitful rays of this single lamp the movements of the burial party
are conducted.
"Where shall we bury the bodies?" O'Connor asks Trueman.
"As near the gates as possible. I should suggest that the grave be dug
in the circle of the main driveway. The grave of Metz and Purdy will
become one of the most famous in Pennsylvania; it should not be put in
an obscure place."
So the circle is decided upon as the proper place for the common grave
of the millionaire transgressor and the martyr.
As the throng passes through the gates many of the men seize spades and
picks, implements which they know only too well how to use.
It does not take twenty minutes to dig the grave.
When the work is completed, the fact dawns upon the minds of the leaders
that they have neglected to provide a coffin for the bodies.
"What shall we do for coffins?" one of the grave-diggers asks, as he
smooths over the edges of the grave.
"Give them soldiers' burial," suggests one of the bystanders.
"Here, take my shawl," says a shivering woman, as she pulls a thin faded
gray shawl from her shoulders.
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