ur
handkerchief, to tie on this rascally head with. It's pretty well torn
at any rate, so you won't miss it."

Jack proceeded to comply with this request when Peterkin suddenly laid
his hand on his arm and arrested him.

"Hist, man," said he, "be tender; you should never be needlessly cruel if
you can help it. Do try to shave past Lord Nelson's mouth without
tearing it, if possible! Thanks. There are plenty more handkerchiefs on
the cocoa-nut trees."

Poor Peterkin! with what pleasant feelings I recall and record his jests
and humorous sayings now!

While we were thus engaged, we were startled by a distant but most
strange and horrible cry. It seemed to come from the sea, but was so far
away that we could not clearly distinguish its precise direction. Rushing
out of our bower, we hastened down to the beach and stayed to listen.
Again it came quite loud and distinct on the night air,--a prolonged,
hideous cry, something like the braying of an ass. The moon had risen,
and we could see the islands in and beyond the lagoon quite plainly, but
there was no object visible to account for such a cry. A strong gust of
wind was blowing from the point whence the sound came, but this died away
while we were gazing out to sea.

"What can it be?" said Peterkin, in a low whisper, while we all
involuntarily crept closer to each other.

"Do you know," said Jack, "I have heard that mysterious sound twice
before, but never so loud as to-night. Indeed it was so faint that I
thought I must have merely fancied it, so, as I did not wish to alarm
you, I said nothing about it."

We listened for a long time for the sound again, but as it did not come,
we returned to the bower and resumed our work.

"Very strange," said Peterkin, quite gravely. "Do you believe in ghosts,
Ralph?"

"No," I answered, "I do not. Nevertheless I must confess that strange,
unaccountable sounds, such as we have just heard, make me feel a little
uneasy."

"What say you to it, Jack?"

"I neither believe in ghosts nor feel uneasy," he replied. "I never saw
a ghost myself, and I never met with any one who had; and I have
generally found that strange and unaccountable things have almost always
been accounted for, and found to be quite simple, on close examination. I
certainly can't imagine what _that_ sound is; but I'm quite sure I shall
find out before long,--and if it's a ghost I'll--"

"Eat it," cried Peterkin.

"Yes, I'll eat it! Now, then,