"I weep," said the hangman, "because since I hanged him, we have discovered that he was guilty of a great crime for which I hanged another man a year ago." "Then you are weeping for the other man?" "No, no!" retorted the hangman, growing quite angry, "I am weeping because, having hanged this man for a petty crime which was never committed, I cannot hang him now for I have already hanged the other man." "At last I understand," said Gud, greatly relieved, "and I think I can help you out. Go get your rope and call your citizens!" Chapter LXI As he was sitting one night by a campfire waiting for the beans to boil, Gud picked up a newspaper. Glancing over the advertisements, his eye fell on this item: PARTNER WANTED: Fine opportunity for experienced deity to share control of fully evolved world. Will call at any address to give details.--I. B. DEVIL. This interested Gud, for his vacation was getting irksome. So he called Fidu and let him sniff the advertisement and said: "Go get him!" Fidu immediately hit the trail through the great darkness, baying beautifully. When the Underdog returned there followed at his heels a handsome Devil. Gud shook hands with his caller and, removing the pot of beans from the hot rocks in the center of the fire, asked him to be seated. The Devil, throwing off his cape, sat down in the flames and poked his feet comfortably into the glowing coals. "You are very considerate," said the Devil, as he took out his pipe and filled the bowl with brimstone; "most fellows of your ilk would let me shiver or make me start my own fire." "Don't mention it," said Gud. "You have, I believe, a partnership proposition." "That I have," returned the Devil, "but first may I ask how you came to be out of employment?" "I smashed everything," explained Gud, "and quit business. The place got too big to be handled easily and I couldn't get efficient help. I thought I would retire, or at least take a long vacation; but you know how that goes, we are all creatures of habit." "Yes," agreed the Devil, "many of us are like that. We try to do too much, and get discouraged and throw up everything. However, I have always been a hard worker and rather liked it." "But you are out of a job now," said Gud significantly, "and before I can talk business I will have to know why." "Certainly," said the Devil, "I am out of employment for the very excellent reason that my god died." "What! You don't mean it?" "Why not? You fellows don't want to take your immortality too seriously. It's a necessary pose, of course, as a matter of business; but you see my god was really very old. He had a premonition, too, and very thoughtfully left me a letter of recommendation. Would you like to see it?" "Thanks, but I never look at letters of recommendation. I have written too many of them. But tell me about this death of your employer."