eek ago to buy a horse, and now--."
Barney sighed as he stooped and turned the body over in order to
ascertain whether he had been murdered; but there were no marks of
violence to be seen. There was bread too in his wallet; so they could
come to no other conclusion than that the unhappy man had been seized
with fatal illness in the lonesome wood and died there.

As they searched his clothes they found a small leathern bag, which, to
their amazement was filled with gold-dust; and in the midst of the gold
was another smaller bag containing several small diamonds.

"Ha!" exclaimed Martin, "that explains his hurry. No doubt he had made
off with these, and was anxious to avoid pursuit."

"No doubt of it," said Barney. "Well, thief or no thief, we must give
the poor cratur' dacent burial. There's not a scrap o' paper to tell
who he is or where he came from,--a sure sign that he wasn't what he
should ha' been. Ah! Martin, what will we not do for the sake o'
money! and, after all, we can't keep it long. May the Almighty niver
let you or me set our hearts on it."

They dug a shallow grave with their hands in a sandy spot where the soil
was loose, in which they deposited the body of the unfortunate man; and
then remounting their horses, rode away and left him in his lonely
resting-place.

For many days did Martin and Barney travel through the land on
horseback, now galloping over open campos, anon threading their way
through the forest, and sometimes toiling slowly up the mountain sides.
The aspect of the country varied continually as they advanced, and the
feelings of excessive hilarity with which they commenced the journey
began to subside as they became accustomed to it.

One evening they were toiling slowly up a steep range of hills, which
had been the prospect in front of them the whole of that day. As they
neared the summit of the range Martin halted at a stream to drink, and
Barney advanced alone. Suddenly Martin was startled by a loud cry, and
looking up he saw Barney on his knees with his hands clasped before him!
Rushing up the hill, Martin found his comrade with his face flushed and
the tears coursing down his cheeks as he stared before him.

"Look at it Martin, dear!" he cried, starting up and flinging his cap in
the air, and shouting like a madman. "The say! my own native illiment!
the beautiful ocean! Och, darlint my blessing on ye! Little did I
think to see you more,--hooray!"

Barney sang and