Year: 1859

You see, brother Tom and I courted sisters, and
there were no nicer girls in all the village than
| Hetty and Nancy Rice, who afterward became our
wives. | say it, who ought to know although it
may sound foolish for man to be heard praising
his own kith and kin.


| Well we had been at Deacon Rice's sitting up
with our girls-it was one Sunday night in the
month of September. How well remember it
just of those nights that have after the Fall
winds set in-the moon riding high, and the wind
coming in gusts, and driving the great heavy mass
es of white Clouds looking like snow drifts, over
| the whole face of the sky.


We had started TO go home together-I should
think it must have been about half past one O'clock
and we had to go by the old burying ground on
the green; for our house lay just beyond Minister
MOore's old stone parsonage. We walked along
the east wall where the road lay, talking pretty
briskly, and whistling 20 keep of bad thoughts,
when suddenly Tom stopped and said, Ralph,
don't you see something! Look there =" pointing
towards the west end of the churchyard, where an
old yew tree stood near the wall. / looked and
saw some object, but could not tell what it was.
just then the moon shone out, and made it out
to be horse and wagon, standing under the old
ysw.


/ said to Tom, "This bodies no good. The grave
diggers are about-that is their horse and wagon
standing under the old yew, ard they must be at
work somewhere among the graves"





sound of steps approaching, and then we saw two
men moving from the centre of the churchyard to-
wards the old tree. We watched their movements.
They pulled out what looked to be blanket from
the bottom Of the wagon; we saw them wrap it
around the corpse-we knew it was such, for 1t
in the shape Of a man and dressed in white
and then they carefully laid it away in the bottom
of the wagon. They thea went as we supposed to
fill up the grave.


said to Tom, ''Don't let US let the rascals es-
cape. Let US go and take that body and hide it
under the shadow of the wall and, Tom. either
you or | will take its place, and they will find
when they get home that they have got living
man to deal with instead of dead One."


"Good ~ said Tom; Ralph I'll be the man to
play that game. Nothing I should like better;
only lend me your dirk-knife, that if wUrse
comes to worse can take care of myself"


"DOnel' | replied. and we crawled along IN
the shadow of the wall and came tn the old yew.


We quickly got the body out of the wagon and
laid it close under the wall in the shade. and Tom
wrapped himself in the blanket and laid himself IN
its place.


"a sound sleep to you" said, ''and don't wake
up till at the best time and place.. then has
tened and secreted myself in che shadow OF the
wall.


Presently I saw the men approaching. They
had sbovels ON their shoulders and were on o fast
trot. stepping lightly as they were able among the
thick brushwOod. They went directly towards the
wagon, and | heard one of them say, "Jaek, this
body is too long TO ride here in the bottom /; you
will have to ift it up, while drive, and We will
ride with it between Look, have brought
my o,d hat, in case it should be needed. Putt on
his head and set him up Il is cloudy, you know,
and nobody viii mistrust."


Isau shsn Iut Tom up, and the Sns hs called