"'That wouldn't do--the smell they would make in decaying would be unbearable, to say nothing of the sickness they would create.' "Cæsar was standing unsteadily, looking at us with lackluster eyes. Suddenly an idea seemed to dawn in his monstrous head--an idea as monstrous and uncouth as the head itself. His eyes lighted up. "'I have it!' he shouted. 'By G-d, I have it! Make a pyramid of them, and pour cement over them, and let it stand forever as a monument of this day's glorious work! Hoorrah!" "'That's a pretty good idea,' said the officer, and the others present, courtier-like--for King Cæsar already has his courtiers--applauded the idea vociferously. "'We'll have a monument that shall last while the earth stands,' cried Cæsar. 'And, hold on, Bill,' he continued, 'you shall build it;--and--I say--we won't make a pyramid of it--it shall be a column--_Cæsar's Column_--by G-d. It shall reach to the skies! And if there aren't enough dead to build it of, why, we'll kill some more; we've got plenty to kill. Old Thingumbob, who used to live here--in my palace--said he would kill ten million of us to-day. But he didn't. Not much! Max's friend--that d---d long-legged fellow, from Africa--he dished him, for he told old Quincy all about it. And now I've got old Thingumbob's best girl in the corner yonder. Oh, it's jolly. But build the column, Bill--build it high and strong. I remember--hic--how they used to build houses on the Saskatchewan, when I was grubbing for potatoes there. They had a board frame the length of a wall, and three or four feet high. They would throw in stones, bowlders, pebbles, dirt, anything, and, when it was full, they would pour cement over it all; and when it hardened--hic--which it did in a few minutes, they lifted up the frame and made another course. I say, Bill, that's the way you must build Cæsar's column. And get Charley Carpenter to help you; he's an engineer. And, hold on, Bill, put a lot of dynamite--Jim has just told me they had found tons of it--put a lot of dynamite--hic--in the middle of it, and if they try to tear down my monument, it will blow them to the d---l. And, I say, Max, that long-legged, preaching son-of-thunder--that friend of yours--he must write an inscription for it. Do you hear? He's the man to do it. Something fine. By G-d, we will build a monument that will beat the pyramids of all the other Caesars. Cæsar's Column! Hoorrah!' "And the great brute fairly jumped and danced with delight over his extraordinary conception.