Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1886-03-25

than if he was in dentists chair. Suppose
he was to faint?"
"Bother," was Drummond's answer but
he produced, nevertheless, from his pocket
small flask, and politely offered some of
its contents to the novice of the party, who,
however, declined the offer with thanks.
"Here's the cart" said Jack, gaily jump
ing up. "Now we're all right. Come
along, Toby"
The individual thus addressed, forming a
fourth member of the group, was an odd
looking little man in a battered hat and a
very seedy suit of clothes, which seemed all
too thin to protect him from the cold. Step
ping from the cart, on which he had occu-
pied the drivers place in bringing it up
from the gate, where it had been left, he
handed Drummond and Jack each spade,
reserving one for himself, with which he
silently and skilfully fell to work upon the
grave, whose recesses it was the object of
the party to explore.
The other two joining in the task, it pro-
ceeded rapidly, and soon large pile of fresh
earth lay heaped outside the grave. Baker
in the mean time stood looking on, with
out Offering to assist; and as dull, hollow
sound proclaimed that one of the spades
had struck the coffin he shuddered visibly,
and withdrew step or two farther.
A few minutes longer of energetic work,
and the remaining earth was shoveled
away from the surface of the coffin; cords
were now brought into requisition to raise
it to the surface, and this accomplished,
they proceeded to remove the lid. Toby
was appointed to this task, or rather SEEM
ed to apply himself to it as matter of
course, and while he was engaged in turn
ing the screws, his companions sat down to
rest and refresh themselves by taste of
Drummond's little flask. Jack took out
his watch and consulted it by the light of
the lantern.
"We've been here longer than 1 thought"
he remarked. "It's time we were starting
for home."
"No hurry" coolly answered his senior.
"Everything's safe enough. 1tdoesn't mat
ter if we're not back before daylight"
mo, but it's deucedly cold out here. By
the by, Baker, how are you feeling now ?"
Gall right" gloomily answered Baker
"Have drop of brandy?"
''No, thanks; never touch spirits"
''Talking about spirits," said Jack, 81
wonder what the ghosts of these fellows
hereabouts thing of such proceeding as
this? Don't they regard it as a pretty
cheeky thing, I wonder? Burglary and
abduction in one. and they not able to de-
fend themselves. 1t does seem rather un-
fair.
81 don't see that it concerns the ghosts
much," rejoined Drummond. ''They are
not supposed to inhabit the graves"
No, but they must still retain kindly in
terest in their earthly frames, even after they
have vacated them, I should think. Here's
this fellow now; having been peacefully
planted and covered up, his ghost thinks or
rather thought, that he would be let alone
in quiet and comfort for number of years at
least-hundreds or thousands, perhaps-and
goes off at his ease to enjoy himself among
the other disembodied spirits, and explore
new countries; he comes back occasionally
to see how things are getting along at home,
and to his disgust he can't find his old ten
ement anywhere. Don't you suppose he'll
feel aggrieved?"
"Don't matter much how he feels, replied
Drummond. Atany rate it doesn't concern
me-"
"Tell you what, old fellow, continued the
other, 'it's PRETTY sure to concern you one
of these days, for I'll be hanged if retribu-
tive justice don't stir you up out of your
last resting place for the benefit of science.
You needn't expect anything else. How
will you like that?"
"When that time arrives, Jack, l fancy I
shall be tolerably Indifferent on the sub
ject. Science is quite welcome to benefit
by my remains. I don't care rush what
becomes of them. In fact"
Here startling exclamation interrupted
him. Toby had just lifted off the cofin-lid,
and was staring before him with blank as
tonishment depicted on his interesting
countenance.
"What's up, Toby?" asked Drummond.
"He's," up" replied Toby, scratching his
head, from which he had removed his bat
tered hat. cat least, he amt down. Cof-
fms empty-all but these" He took out a
heavy stone or two, embedded in straw, and
threw them aside.
Drummond started forward with an oath.
"You don't mean that somebody's been
ahead of u.s." he exclaimed.
'Looks like it, boss. Anyways, you can
see for yourself there's no corpse here"
"Well," said Jack, 'if that isn't a sell ~
ga nice thing to come out here on freez-
ing night after dead man and find him
gone," growled Drummond. "But who
the mischief could have carried him Off?
1t must have been pretty quick work-1
don't see how they could have got through
it in such hurry See here, Jack" he
continued, turning rather tiercely to the
last named individual, "this isn't any con-
founded joke of yours, is it?'
"Of mine? Why, General, you surprise
me. Amt | as much interested in this
business as you are"'
"Well, l should Judge so; but nobody
ever can tell what you feather-brained
youngsters are after. Well, what's to be
done about it ?"
"Put the coffin back, of COURSE" said
expected turn of affairs. "No use standing
here and looking at the darned thing"
He kicked the unoffendng but aggravating
piece of furniture as he spoke, by way OF
venting his spleen.
"Well," said Drummond, drawing long
BREATH" no such trick as this has ever been
played on me before. If | could find out
who's done it"
"But how do you know it is q trick ?"
asked Baker. "Suppose the man was never